Page 34 of The Glass Dolphin

“Yeah,” El said. “Really great.” She squeezed Robin’s other hand.

Robin didn’t dare look at anyone else. Instead, her eyes dropped to her bowl of chicken stew, and she scooped up another bite. She knew better than to put anything in her mouth before Alice said something, though, so she waited with it poised in the air.

“I’m a little bored now that my kids are gone,” Alice said, her smile absolutely huge. “So Arthur and I have decided to learn a new hobby together.” She paused, ever the dramatic one in the group. She’d performed in plays in high school and everything. “We’re going to audition forKiss Me, Kateat the Cove Community Theater next month.”

Stunned silence filled the cottage, and it filtered through Robin too.

“Good for you,” Julia said first, and that got everyone else’s vocal cords unfrozen.

“Yeah,” Robin echoed with a few others. “Wow, theater.”

“Arthur has a good singing voice,” Alice said, her smile going nowhere. In fact, the wattage of it only increased. “So we’ll see.” She looked at Laurel, who hastened to wipe her mouth.

“I thought you’d say more,” she said. “I’m a lot like AJ. Not much going on. I have to admit, being a full-time mom is more…daunting than I imagined. Most days, Paul gets home before I’ve had time to shower, but what I’ve been doing is lying on the floor, reading books to a baby.” She didn’t smile, and Robin wondered if there was more to what she’d said.

Laurel reached up and wiped her eyes. “I don’t know why that makes me emotional. I feel like I used to be so put together, and now I can’t even shower before evening.”

“Oh, honey.” Alice put her arm around Laurel. “It’s a big adjustment.”

Laurel nodded, but she shot a look across the table to Jean. What that meant, Robin couldn’t decipher quickly enough.

“I think it took me a year to figure out how to be a mom,” Julia said. “And that was just getting up and getting us both dressed and fed.” She grinned around to the group. “After that, the job description changed every day, and I felt like I was putting together a jet plane while flying it into battle. Every single day.”

“That’s about how it is,” Robin said with a smile.

“And I had twins,” Alice said. “And no co-pilot.” The conversation stalled for a moment, and Alice shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like anyone here has it easier than me. Or anyone else.”

Laurel nodded and hugged Alice. “Thanks, Alice,” she whispered.

“Bring sweet baby James over anytime,” Alice said. “I’m just reading boring stuff most of the time, and I can at least hold a baby while I do it.” Her face brightened. “I know. I can read him my family law briefs. It’s reading, right?”

That got a few laughs, and Robin reached past Alice to squeeze Laurel’s shoulder. She gave Robin a grateful look, and then the baton got passed to Julia.

“Okay.” She took in a deep breath through her nose. “Liam and I have been seeing each other since Thanksgiving,” she said, glancing around at everyone. She spoke slowly, evenly. “And he’s already started talking about ‘when I’ll live with him’ and what our life will be like together.”

“That’s great,” Maddy said.

Julia gave her a look like,no, it isn’t, and Maddy clamped her lips closed. “I’m meeting his son, Ian, on Friday night.”

“Do you want to meet Ian?” Kelli asked.

Julia looked like she’d swallowed poison that had no known antidote, but she nodded. “I do, because it’s the next step for us, and I don’t know. It feels huge.”

“You like Liam, right?” AJ asked.

“Yes,” Julia said.

“She more thanlikesLiam,” Clara teased, and that caused Julia to flush and shoot Clara a death glare all at the same time.

“What’s scary about this?” Robin asked.

“Robin,” Alice admonished.

“What?” she asked. “Until you identify what you’re afraid of, you have to keep being afraid.”

“Thanks, O Wise One,” Alice said.

“No, I think she’s right,” Julia said, and Robin shot Alice a look she didn’t see. “I guess I’m afraid it’s moving too fast.”

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