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Chapter Twenty-Six
By Monday afternoon,Lucy had managed to kick every one of her sisters out, though Emma was coming over after school. Thanks to her newly minted driver’s license, she was a free woman. Or another babysitter, in this case.
She wouldn’t be there for another hour, so Lucy was alone, and today, she was listening to a book on babies and what to expect. What she was learning was that she really didn’t want to know what to expect at all.
Laying on the couch with her legs hanging over the side, she watched her fidget spinner twirl on her finger as she listened to the amazingly gross stuff that was happening to her body. She was sure that she was learning stuff that would haunt her long after the babies were born.
As the spinner spun, she saw a face appear near it. Jumping in fear, she let the toy fly through the air as she pulled her headphones off her head, sitting up quickly.
“Lucy?” the woman asked her. She was still wearing her red winter jacket and blue jeans but seemed like she belonged there more than Lucy did.
“Yes, that’s me.” She stood up, tossing the headphone on the couch.
“No, you sit. You don’t need to stand; the doctor says you have to sit,” she insisted, then went to get the spinner from the floor where it had landed.
Lucy sat back down and asked, but felt stupid for it, “Who are you?”
“Sorry, we haven’t met before. I’m Kelly, Aubrey and Lexie’s mom.” She handed her the spinner.
Lucy looked at the woman closer. She could see the older girls in her features, more Aubrey since Alexis looked more like her father, but the resemblance was still there.
“The girls aren’t here,” Lucy stated. Of course not, they’re in school, she thought.
“I know, I’m picking up Lexie here after school. Lines got crossed, but I had time to come over, and I wanted to meet you,” she said, looking at what must be a scary-looking Lucy. Her leggings were twisted, and her red T-shirt said “Pens,” all a mess from a day of just sitting. And maybe a stain or two from lunch in front of the TV.
“Not much to see, I’m afraid.” She waved her hands down her body.
“Nonsense. Now first, thank you for bringing Aubrey home that night. I like that you will go out of your way to make sure my kids are safe.” Kelly sat down in the chair Maby had dubbed as hers over the last few days.
“Anyone would have done it. I was just happy to be out that night and recognized Aubrey from her picture on Leo’s desk.” She shrugged, dropping the spinner because Kelly was watching it.
“Leo is very taken with you. I’d like to see him happy,” she said, surprising Lucy. It wasn’t an ex-wife thing to say. In fact, the other one hadn’t even said hi to her when she had picked up her girls the last time.
“I hope to make him happy.” She had nothing else to say.
“Are you going back to work, when you can, that is?” she asked.
“I’m hoping to go back by the end of the week,” she replied, not that she was really looking forward to it. Someone else was filling in the calendar, and she would have to have someone read it to her when she got back.
“How about the wedding?”
“I don’t know. I think once the bed rest is over, we will talk about it. I mean, everything is ready, we just have to do it.” Lucy hadn’t really thought about it. Most of her thoughts were on not moving too much and finding things to do while sitting.
“Weddings aren’t your thing?” Kelly chuckled at her.
“Just been to many lately. Three of my sisters and my mom have recently gotten married. It’s a lot.”
“I read that they married well,” Kelly said, nodding.
“I guess, but they’re still the same. Only Bea doesn’t really work anymore, and nobody has a second job anymore. They’ve been able to keep me company most of the time.”
“But not today?” Kelly looked around.
“My sister Emma is coming over after school. She just got her license.” Lucy grinned.
“I didn’t know you had siblings that young.”
“Emma is sixteen, and Violet is eight. Mom’s kids; she’s having another one a few months after me.”
