Page 32 of Chasing the Horizon

“Welcome to Greenwich Village!” Catherine said.

Valerie’s smile was so big that it hurt her face. The emotional contrast was insane. Suddenly, they were following Catherine into the brownstone, laden with bags and boxes of decorations. They talked about everything from Christmas to the snow to the upcoming year. Catherine seemed as jovial as ever. It was as though her bad moods of the past week hadn’t ever happened.

Valerie thought,She must have been nervous about the shower. But now it’s here.

Everything would be all right.

As they’d discussed on the phone, Catherine wanted the baby shower in her beautiful living room, a space off to the right of the foyer with a bay window and bookshelves lining the walls. Valerie took a moment to look at the book collection and was surprised to see Dostoyevsky and Kafka and Proust. Was Catherine a big reader? Or did the books belong to Max?

After all the boxes and suitcases were brought inside, it was time for Alex to go.

Valerie walked him to the front door and kissed him deeply. “Good luck, baby,” she murmured.

“Good luck to you,” he whispered in her ear. “Call me if you need anything at all.”

After Alex disappeared behind the door, Valerie turned to find Catherine hunched over on the sofa, deeply breathing, both hands on her belly. Valerie was immediately stricken.

“Are you all right?” she cried, hurrying over to sit beside her.

Catherine’s brow was furrowed. It was difficult to gauge what she was thinking about.

Finally, she gasped, “Where is he going?”

It took Valerie a second to realize Catherine meant Alex.

“He’s off for a few meetings,” Valerie explained. “He needs funding for his film.”

Catherine’s eyes widened for a split second. “Just wait till he gets that funding. Just wait and see what will happen to you both.”

Valerie gaped at her with surprise. “I’m sorry?”

But Catherine winced with pain and hunched her shoulders. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry,” she cried. “I’m just always so sick. I don’t know what I’m saying.”

Valerie hurried to the kitchen to make a mug of tea and pour a glass of water. Momentarily alone, she realized that Catherine was weeping in the next room.

Something was happening. But Valerie had no idea how to get to the bottom of it. And when she returned to the living room, she found Catherine’s mood had shifted all over again. She smiled brightly and talked about the baby shower tomorrow as though it would be the happiest day of her life. “I can’t wait for you to meet the girls,” she said of her best friends and cousins and sisters and former colleagues. “They’ll just love you. And you know, they’re always throwing parties of their own. I’m sure they’ll be dying to work with you.”

But a twinkle in her eye reminded Valerie of all the power Catherine had over her.

Valerie took a breath. “I just want to thank you for this opportunity.”

She hated groveling like this. But Catherine gave her no choice.

At seven thirty, Valerie finished setup for the baby shower and went upstairs to say goodbye to Catherine, who’d told her to knock on her bedroom door when she wanted to go. But when she finally did knock, Catherine called, “Just let yourself out!”

Valerie was surprised. She shifted her weight. “Okay?” She swallowed and then added, “I’m going to pick up the cake at ten o’clock tomorrow morning, and I’m having the china and glassware delivered at eleven. I’ll be here by then.” She wet her lips. “When does Max get home from work?”

Catherine was quiet for a long time. All Valerie could hear was the thudding of her own heart.

Finally, Catherine called, “He’s on his way back now.”

Valerie breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s wonderful. Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow around ten thirty. Can’t wait for the big day!”

Catherine didn’t respond.

What could Valerie do but let herself out? Alex was already waiting for her, hovering on the front stoop, all dressed in a thick wool coat and a big black hat. When she walked outside, she found him grinning madly in a way that told her he’d gotten at least some of the funding he was after. She threw her arms around him and said in his ear, “We have to celebrate!”

And celebrate they did.

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