work.”
“ Get out of here!”
The librarian stood up. “Ladies, puh-leeeze!”
They both nodded at her, then whispered in unison, “Sorry!”
Ally waited until the woman sat back down, then added, “Zoe’s sperm donor has been my best friend since high school. In fact, Barry lives next door with his partner, Christian. I just never found the right guy to settle down with, and I was working so hard. But I just sold my company, and re-arranged my hours so that I go in on the days we don’t have our meet-ups.”
Jillian sat silently for a moment. Finally, she whispered, “You know, you didn’t have to tell me all that.”
“Why not?” Ally shrugged. “I trust you. If you’d found out my secret, you’d do the same for me—keep quiet.”
“That’s what Lorna said.”
“So Lorna knows that you work?”
Jillian nodded. “She knows everything. She found out last week, by mistake— when she showed up at the restaurant where I work—with Bettina no less.”
“No way! With Bettina ?” Ally’s shock took her squeal into a crescendo.
“Ladies, I think you’ve outstayed your welcome!”
Ally and Jillian were still laughing as they wheeled the girls down Chestnut to The Grove for a cup of coffee.
Chapter 8
Friday, 16 November
10:41 a.m.
Barry’s call to Ally came in the middle of the PHM&T meet-up at a puppet show that had been arranged by one of the Legacy mothers. Although it was forbidden to answer your cell phone during a play date, Ally grabbed Zoe and snuck off to the ladies’ room.
“Ally, sweets, how pissed will you be if Christian and I join Ramona and Fred in Hana for Thanksgiving?”
“But you’re Zoe’s family! And Thanksgiving is a family tradition.”
He sighed. “Before ‘we’ were a family, Hana had always been Christian’s tradition with his mother and father, and they were miffed that Christian and I cancelled on them last year, after Zoe was born.”
“But—that means Zoe and I will starve! You know that!”
“No problem. I’ll leave you my turkey recipe. And Christian’s stuffing.”
“What about the sweet potato soufflé? Oh my God, you better write it down for me. That’s what I’m supposed to bring to the club’s after-Thanksgiving potluck. That…and you.”
Barry’s groan was so loud that she had to hold the phone away from her ear. “You can tell them I’m sick, okay?”
“Yeah. Sunstroke.”
“Aw, puddin’, are you really that upset about us going? You know his parents won’t be around forever.”
“I know. I’m being silly. And selfish. And I’m feeling lonely.”
“You need a man. That would solve all your problems.”
He was probably right. But the one man who was too obviously flirting with her was already taken, whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not. Brady Pierce may be cute, smart, and, in reality, single, but he already had one woman head over heels in love with him. And Jade was determined to win him back. Ally could tell by the way she lit up every time he was around.
And Ally liked her too much to stand in her way.
She could hear the clapping and squeals of the other mothers and toddlers. Apparently, the show was over.
11:33 a.m.
“I’d invite you over to my place for Thanksgiving, but my oven is on the fritz,” Jillian opined. “I can’t afford to get it fixed. Not yet, anyway.”
After the puppet show, the Probationary Onesies had commandeered the bench closest to the sand box at Lafayette Park. It was unseasonably warm for mid-November, and the park was filled with club members and other mothers who all had the same idea.
“Since you’re both flying solo for Thanksgiving, why don’t you come eat with us?”
Jillian and Ally turned at the sound of Jade’s voice. Jillian shook her head in wonder. “‘Us?’ You mean, you and Brady?”
“Of course, silly!” Jade said as she dropped Oliver beside Dante in the sandbox. “Who else would I mean? It would be a blast! We’ve got a great big
“ Get out of here!”
The librarian stood up. “Ladies, puh-leeeze!”
They both nodded at her, then whispered in unison, “Sorry!”
Ally waited until the woman sat back down, then added, “Zoe’s sperm donor has been my best friend since high school. In fact, Barry lives next door with his partner, Christian. I just never found the right guy to settle down with, and I was working so hard. But I just sold my company, and re-arranged my hours so that I go in on the days we don’t have our meet-ups.”
Jillian sat silently for a moment. Finally, she whispered, “You know, you didn’t have to tell me all that.”
“Why not?” Ally shrugged. “I trust you. If you’d found out my secret, you’d do the same for me—keep quiet.”
“That’s what Lorna said.”
“So Lorna knows that you work?”
Jillian nodded. “She knows everything. She found out last week, by mistake— when she showed up at the restaurant where I work—with Bettina no less.”
“No way! With Bettina ?” Ally’s shock took her squeal into a crescendo.
“Ladies, I think you’ve outstayed your welcome!”
Ally and Jillian were still laughing as they wheeled the girls down Chestnut to The Grove for a cup of coffee.
Chapter 8
Friday, 16 November
10:41 a.m.
Barry’s call to Ally came in the middle of the PHM&T meet-up at a puppet show that had been arranged by one of the Legacy mothers. Although it was forbidden to answer your cell phone during a play date, Ally grabbed Zoe and snuck off to the ladies’ room.
“Ally, sweets, how pissed will you be if Christian and I join Ramona and Fred in Hana for Thanksgiving?”
“But you’re Zoe’s family! And Thanksgiving is a family tradition.”
He sighed. “Before ‘we’ were a family, Hana had always been Christian’s tradition with his mother and father, and they were miffed that Christian and I cancelled on them last year, after Zoe was born.”
“But—that means Zoe and I will starve! You know that!”
“No problem. I’ll leave you my turkey recipe. And Christian’s stuffing.”
“What about the sweet potato soufflé? Oh my God, you better write it down for me. That’s what I’m supposed to bring to the club’s after-Thanksgiving potluck. That…and you.”
Barry’s groan was so loud that she had to hold the phone away from her ear. “You can tell them I’m sick, okay?”
“Yeah. Sunstroke.”
“Aw, puddin’, are you really that upset about us going? You know his parents won’t be around forever.”
“I know. I’m being silly. And selfish. And I’m feeling lonely.”
“You need a man. That would solve all your problems.”
He was probably right. But the one man who was too obviously flirting with her was already taken, whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not. Brady Pierce may be cute, smart, and, in reality, single, but he already had one woman head over heels in love with him. And Jade was determined to win him back. Ally could tell by the way she lit up every time he was around.
And Ally liked her too much to stand in her way.
She could hear the clapping and squeals of the other mothers and toddlers. Apparently, the show was over.
11:33 a.m.
“I’d invite you over to my place for Thanksgiving, but my oven is on the fritz,” Jillian opined. “I can’t afford to get it fixed. Not yet, anyway.”
After the puppet show, the Probationary Onesies had commandeered the bench closest to the sand box at Lafayette Park. It was unseasonably warm for mid-November, and the park was filled with club members and other mothers who all had the same idea.
“Since you’re both flying solo for Thanksgiving, why don’t you come eat with us?”
Jillian and Ally turned at the sound of Jade’s voice. Jillian shook her head in wonder. “‘Us?’ You mean, you and Brady?”
“Of course, silly!” Jade said as she dropped Oliver beside Dante in the sandbox. “Who else would I mean? It would be a blast! We’ve got a great big
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