Page 17 of Falling Again
“Packing up my in-laws’ house is perfect? I guess you’re more of a fan of manual labor than I am.” Natalie looked down at her new manicure, already lamenting its impending destruction.
“No dummy,” CeCe countered, chipping away at her friend’s sarcastic wall. “You two getting away so soon is perfect. It will give you time to get your thoughts together for some real conversations.”
“Are the kids coming? Max and I can help babysit if you need us,” Ginny chimed in, clearly eager for some Madeline and Otis bonding. Her eyes shone with excitement.
Natalie shook her head. “No, they’re staying with Anthony’s parents. Apparently, they’re trying to save pennies with a moving crew and realize the kids will only slow us down.”
Ginny balled her fists in her lap and flexed them a few times before speaking. “Maybe your in-laws see you two need some quality time? Maybe they’re trying to help?”
Natalie scoffed. “I wish they were that helpful. I’m sure it’s just that they need the help and Anthony’s sister is still MIA.”
Even as she said the words, Natalie questioned if they were true. She and her mother-in-law, Donna, saw each other almost daily, as she helped with Madeline and Otis. Could Donna see the cracks forming in her son’s marriage? Maybe Natalie wasn’t doing such a good job of hiding her emotions. The thought made her feel faint, and she reached for her coffee with trembling fingers. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the trip to South Bass Island might be just what they needed.
“Can we please talk about anything else?” Natalie asked, motioning between her friends. “Don’t one of you have something wonderful and marvelous to discuss?” Turning to CeCe she added, “But please don’t rub your hot sex life in my face. I might have to throw my tape dispenser at you.”
CeCe stuck out her tongue and winked. “Spoil sport.”
Ginny fidgeted, yanking on the hem of her shirt. Her eyes darted all over the room as she toyed with the fabric. Natalie saw her distraction and she snatched it. “Alright business partner, you’re clearly hiding something.”
Turning to face Ginny, CeCe studied her a moment before snapping her fingers. “Something is up! Max was acting extra sentimental this week, and I thought it was because we forgot to clean out the vents. I figured all the bacon grease had short-circuited his brain.”
“Gross,” Natalie said as Ginny covered her cheeks, an undeniable blush creeping up her neck. “Oh my God,” she exclaimed, shooting out of her seat. “Are you pregnant?” Thinking back to their pinot parties at the office, she raised an eyebrow. CeCe nearly fell out of her own chair at the news.
“No, no, no!” Ginny promised. “Not yet anyway.”
A smile took over Natalie’s face, and she practically burst at the news. “But you’re trying?”
Ginny nodded and fanned herself with her hands. “We haven’t started trying officially, but I stopped taking my pill.”
CeCe pulled Ginny in for a hug before letting go and pulling Natalie in as well. “This is the best news I’ve heard all month.”
“All year,” Natalie countered, suddenly overcome with excitement over her friend’s next chapter. “This is so wonderful, and please don’t listen to any of my gripes about having kids. They’re the best, and you’re going to be a great mom.”
“The best.” CeCe pulled back and beamed. “And Max will be so freaking sweet as a dad.”
Ginny straightened her shirt before asking, “Please don’t tell anyone. We have nothing to announce yet, and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
“We’re a vault,” CeCe and Natalie said in unison, causing Ginny to laugh.
The rest of the day went by in a blur of baby talk, client meetings, and general excitement. It was the first afternoon that Natalie didn’t think about her own troubles, and it felt damn good. There was a lot to celebrate in life; she needed to remember that.
*
“Your lunch meetingjust canceled,” Trudy announced as she stomped into Anthony’s office. Perched against her hip was a stack of papers he’d need to read, approve, and sign by the end of the day. He stifled a sigh and reached out for the stack.
“Perfect. At least I’ll have time to read these.”
Anthony took the papers and Trudy handed him a fresh mug of coffee. “I figured you’d say that, so I went ahead and scheduled you another lunch meeting.”
Curse Trudy and her productivity. “Another one? With whom?”
“Max. He’ll be at the diner, and he promised a free lunch for you. Said he’ll be ready by noon.”
Gesturing to the growing stack of bureaucracy in front of him, Anthony asked, “And what is the timeline for this pile?”
Trudy pulled a pen from behind her ear and snagged a stack of sticky notes from Anthony’s desk. With a flourish, she numbered off the notes and stacked the papers in a different order on his desk.
“Here,” she said, stabbing the top sheet with her index finger. “This needs to be approved by tomorrow morning. All the rest can wait until later this week. I put them in priority order.”
