whippoorwill,” so the poor bird wouldn’t feel so alone. But she was too anxious to reach the porch and hurried her gait, picking up her suitcase and marching toward the steps.
When she finally made it to the front door and settled her suitcase on the welcome mat, her entire body sagged, thoroughly exhausted. If this wasn’t the longest day of her life, it certainly ranked right up there. She’d been dying to talk to her mother, to tell her about Nate and, more important, about the baby. Not being able to reach Gretchen had made her feel starved in a way that had nothing to do with hunger. To know that her mom was on the other side of the door caused her fingers to tremble as she reached for the knocker and banged it solidly against the wood.
Abby didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she heard the turn of the knob and the creak of hinges. She exhaled a noisy “oh” as the door was drawn inward. She read the concern on her mother’s face as soon as it peered out: all worry lines and narrowed eyes, messy bits of pale hair on her cheeks, loosened from her ever-present ponytail.
“Abigail!” Gretchen said, eyes wide with shock. “How did you get here? You didn’t walk all the way from the station?”
“Not all the way, no,” Abby said as her mom stared at her. “I had a car drive me to the property line.” A nervous smile twitched upon her lips. “The driver was reluctant to leave me here.” She turned her head to see the jumble of wicker furniture at the end of the porch. “You sure got whacked by the storm, huh? Did you know the old oak fell and blocked the drive?” Despite her best efforts, she felt the tears coming. “I never thought I’d live to see the day that monster came down.”
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Gretchen pulled the door wide and reached out, cupping her chin.
“Who’s there?” a soft voice asked, and Abby saw her aunts scurry into the foyer, clutching each other’s arms. “Abigail, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she said, brushing at her tears.
Certainly, Aunt Bennie had recognized her voice the instant she’d first spoken, and Trudy had doubtless breathed in the scent of her once the door had opened. Abby wondered what strange things she smelled like now that she was pregnant. Talcum powder and pickles?
“I’ve been trying and trying to call, but your phone’s dead,” she explained, glancing above her at the porch light. A moth flitted about its weak glow. “I figured your power was out, too, but I was wrong.”
“Oh, yes, that,” her mother said, waving a hand in the air, not offering any sort of explanation. Instead, Gretchen peered around Abby’s head. “Where’s Nate?” she asked.
“Isn’t he with you?” Trudy inquired, hands toying with whatever she’d buried in the pockets of her smock. “Surely he didn’t let you come alone?”
“Sweetheart, what’s got you choked up? You don’t sound right,” Bennie said, picking up on the tremor in Abby’s voice.
The three women huddled in the doorway had such concern on their faces that the dam broke wide in Abby’s chest. “Nate moved out two weeks ago,” she confessed, and her shoulders began to shake. She took in a great gulp of air before blurting out, “And I just found out that I’m pregnant.”
“ What? ” her mother and aunts said at once.
“It’s true. I’m going to be a mother.” Abby gripped the handle of her suitcase, somehow getting the words out. “I took three at-home tests and saw the doctor, and I’ve been a basket case ever since. So can I come in? Because I’m afraid if I stand here much longer, my knees are going to give.”
Five
Good Lord, Abby’s having a baby?
How could that be?
Not that Gretchen didn’t know how babies were made. Of course she did. But Abby and Nate had always been so careful about such things, and she remembered Abigail remarking that she wasn’t even sure she ever wanted to have children, which had broken Gretchen’s
When she finally made it to the front door and settled her suitcase on the welcome mat, her entire body sagged, thoroughly exhausted. If this wasn’t the longest day of her life, it certainly ranked right up there. She’d been dying to talk to her mother, to tell her about Nate and, more important, about the baby. Not being able to reach Gretchen had made her feel starved in a way that had nothing to do with hunger. To know that her mom was on the other side of the door caused her fingers to tremble as she reached for the knocker and banged it solidly against the wood.
Abby didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she heard the turn of the knob and the creak of hinges. She exhaled a noisy “oh” as the door was drawn inward. She read the concern on her mother’s face as soon as it peered out: all worry lines and narrowed eyes, messy bits of pale hair on her cheeks, loosened from her ever-present ponytail.
“Abigail!” Gretchen said, eyes wide with shock. “How did you get here? You didn’t walk all the way from the station?”
“Not all the way, no,” Abby said as her mom stared at her. “I had a car drive me to the property line.” A nervous smile twitched upon her lips. “The driver was reluctant to leave me here.” She turned her head to see the jumble of wicker furniture at the end of the porch. “You sure got whacked by the storm, huh? Did you know the old oak fell and blocked the drive?” Despite her best efforts, she felt the tears coming. “I never thought I’d live to see the day that monster came down.”
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Gretchen pulled the door wide and reached out, cupping her chin.
“Who’s there?” a soft voice asked, and Abby saw her aunts scurry into the foyer, clutching each other’s arms. “Abigail, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she said, brushing at her tears.
Certainly, Aunt Bennie had recognized her voice the instant she’d first spoken, and Trudy had doubtless breathed in the scent of her once the door had opened. Abby wondered what strange things she smelled like now that she was pregnant. Talcum powder and pickles?
“I’ve been trying and trying to call, but your phone’s dead,” she explained, glancing above her at the porch light. A moth flitted about its weak glow. “I figured your power was out, too, but I was wrong.”
“Oh, yes, that,” her mother said, waving a hand in the air, not offering any sort of explanation. Instead, Gretchen peered around Abby’s head. “Where’s Nate?” she asked.
“Isn’t he with you?” Trudy inquired, hands toying with whatever she’d buried in the pockets of her smock. “Surely he didn’t let you come alone?”
“Sweetheart, what’s got you choked up? You don’t sound right,” Bennie said, picking up on the tremor in Abby’s voice.
The three women huddled in the doorway had such concern on their faces that the dam broke wide in Abby’s chest. “Nate moved out two weeks ago,” she confessed, and her shoulders began to shake. She took in a great gulp of air before blurting out, “And I just found out that I’m pregnant.”
“ What? ” her mother and aunts said at once.
“It’s true. I’m going to be a mother.” Abby gripped the handle of her suitcase, somehow getting the words out. “I took three at-home tests and saw the doctor, and I’ve been a basket case ever since. So can I come in? Because I’m afraid if I stand here much longer, my knees are going to give.”
Five
Good Lord, Abby’s having a baby?
How could that be?
Not that Gretchen didn’t know how babies were made. Of course she did. But Abby and Nate had always been so careful about such things, and she remembered Abigail remarking that she wasn’t even sure she ever wanted to have children, which had broken Gretchen’s
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