at 6 A.M. Every earlier attempt had been fouled by Laurie’s startle reflex; as soon as I set her down, her little arms would shoot straight up as though she were falling.
Jim jarred awake. “Were you up all night?”
“Practically.”
He rubbed my back. “Oh, honey, why didn’t you wake me?”
“I tried.”
“You did?”
My eyelids felt like sandpaper, and my arms and back were sore from rocking Laurie. “Yeah.”
He stroked my hair. “If she wakes up again tonight, get me up.”
If she wakes up again?
“Nite-nite,” I whispered, falling into a fitful sleep.
The phone woke Laurie and me. I glanced around, surprised to see that Jim had already left for the office. The clock glowed 9 A.M. No wonder. Had I really slept three hours straight? I felt much better. What a difference a little sleep made.
I grabbed the ringing phone.
“Where have you been? I called and called yesterday.”
“Hi, Mom.”
“What have you done with my granddaughter? I need to see her before she doesn’t recognize me. And I finished her knit cap.”
Uh-oh.
“Green?”
“No. I ran out of that yarn. Orange.”
I laughed. “Come over. I need to run a couple errands.” After yesterday’s ordeal with Mr. Creepy and the cars being broken into, I didn’t want Laurie in tow. Just in case.
I made my daily list while waiting for Mom.
To Do:
1. Find George.
2. Ask Michelle if she told George I have his bags.
3. Learn how to use hideous breast pump.
4. Catch up on z’s.
5. Restart diet.
6. ✓
7. Send out birth announcements.
8. Make birth announcements.
I dug in my closet, searching for something to wear. Fortunately, my bones weren’t as achy as the day before and some of my pregnancy bloat was starting to disappear. I tried on a pair of nonmaternity slacks. They actually fit.
Except for the waist.
I found a flowing silk blouse that I could leave un-tucked to hide the fact that the button was held in place with a rubber band. Hey, progress was progress, and I’d do anything not to have to wear maternity pants.
What did they say about pregnancy weight: nine months up, nine months down? I sighed at my reflection in the mirror and hurriedly put on lipstick.
I left Laurie with Mom cooing over her and made my way to Michelle’s.
I parked in front of the house and found myself checking the street for anyone hanging around. No shady characters or car thieves, but since I hadn’t seen anyone before, I didn’t exactly feel secure.
I rang Michelle’s doorbell.
No answer.
I rang the bell again, puttering around a bit, waiting. There was no chipping paint to pick at, so I traced the outlines of the numbers of her address. About fifteen times.
I dug out my cell phone and dialed her. It rang and rang; finally her voice mail clicked on.
Hmm. Maybe she went somewhere? To get groceries?
Buy herself more wine?
When I turned to leave, I saw the day’s newspaper was still on the stairs. I peered through the tiny window, made of brick glass, on her front door. It was meant to let light in but keep Peeping Toms out. I couldn’t see a thing inside.
An uneasy feeling was building inside me. I decided to check around the house and see if I could find any accessible windows. I fought the paranoia flaring up.
It’s probably nothing, Kate.
I peeked into the mail slot at the garage. A gold hard-top Mercedes was visible. I went around to the side of the house and tried to reach the dining room’s stained glass windows, but they were too high.
A heavy planter box was nearby. I dragged it about a foot so I could climb onto it and look through the window. Even on my tiptoes I wasn’t tall enough.
I retreated to the front of the house and spotted several thick phone books on the curb. When was the phone company going to stop printing those? With everyone searching the yellow pages online, I couldn’t imagine a need for them much longer. But thankfully they hadn’t stopped yet as they might
Jim jarred awake. “Were you up all night?”
“Practically.”
He rubbed my back. “Oh, honey, why didn’t you wake me?”
“I tried.”
“You did?”
My eyelids felt like sandpaper, and my arms and back were sore from rocking Laurie. “Yeah.”
He stroked my hair. “If she wakes up again tonight, get me up.”
If she wakes up again?
“Nite-nite,” I whispered, falling into a fitful sleep.
The phone woke Laurie and me. I glanced around, surprised to see that Jim had already left for the office. The clock glowed 9 A.M. No wonder. Had I really slept three hours straight? I felt much better. What a difference a little sleep made.
I grabbed the ringing phone.
“Where have you been? I called and called yesterday.”
“Hi, Mom.”
“What have you done with my granddaughter? I need to see her before she doesn’t recognize me. And I finished her knit cap.”
Uh-oh.
“Green?”
“No. I ran out of that yarn. Orange.”
I laughed. “Come over. I need to run a couple errands.” After yesterday’s ordeal with Mr. Creepy and the cars being broken into, I didn’t want Laurie in tow. Just in case.
I made my daily list while waiting for Mom.
To Do:
1. Find George.
2. Ask Michelle if she told George I have his bags.
3. Learn how to use hideous breast pump.
4. Catch up on z’s.
5. Restart diet.
6. ✓
7. Send out birth announcements.
8. Make birth announcements.
I dug in my closet, searching for something to wear. Fortunately, my bones weren’t as achy as the day before and some of my pregnancy bloat was starting to disappear. I tried on a pair of nonmaternity slacks. They actually fit.
Except for the waist.
I found a flowing silk blouse that I could leave un-tucked to hide the fact that the button was held in place with a rubber band. Hey, progress was progress, and I’d do anything not to have to wear maternity pants.
What did they say about pregnancy weight: nine months up, nine months down? I sighed at my reflection in the mirror and hurriedly put on lipstick.
I left Laurie with Mom cooing over her and made my way to Michelle’s.
I parked in front of the house and found myself checking the street for anyone hanging around. No shady characters or car thieves, but since I hadn’t seen anyone before, I didn’t exactly feel secure.
I rang Michelle’s doorbell.
No answer.
I rang the bell again, puttering around a bit, waiting. There was no chipping paint to pick at, so I traced the outlines of the numbers of her address. About fifteen times.
I dug out my cell phone and dialed her. It rang and rang; finally her voice mail clicked on.
Hmm. Maybe she went somewhere? To get groceries?
Buy herself more wine?
When I turned to leave, I saw the day’s newspaper was still on the stairs. I peered through the tiny window, made of brick glass, on her front door. It was meant to let light in but keep Peeping Toms out. I couldn’t see a thing inside.
An uneasy feeling was building inside me. I decided to check around the house and see if I could find any accessible windows. I fought the paranoia flaring up.
It’s probably nothing, Kate.
I peeked into the mail slot at the garage. A gold hard-top Mercedes was visible. I went around to the side of the house and tried to reach the dining room’s stained glass windows, but they were too high.
A heavy planter box was nearby. I dragged it about a foot so I could climb onto it and look through the window. Even on my tiptoes I wasn’t tall enough.
I retreated to the front of the house and spotted several thick phone books on the curb. When was the phone company going to stop printing those? With everyone searching the yellow pages online, I couldn’t imagine a need for them much longer. But thankfully they hadn’t stopped yet as they might
Similar Books
