Page 61 of Two is a Pattern

“You don’t think Lori would mind?” Helen asked.

“I don’t. Not even a little.”

She went back downstairs, where Lindsay was running around, swinging her Cabbage Patch doll wildly behind her. Louis and Lori were in the kitchen with Betty, having a strained conversation about why the rolls weren’t ready when the rest of the food was. Lori had her hand on her hip, never a good sign. And somehow, Dean had ended up holding Kimberly, who was crying loudly.

“Here,” Annie said, walking up to Dean. “You mind if I take her for a spin?”

“I suppose that would be all right,” Dean said gratefully and handed Kimberly over with no hesitation.

As soon as she took the baby, Annie realized she had a soggy diaper. She headed toward the playroom at the back of the house, which was where Louis found them. Kimberly, who had momentarily settled down when Annie took her from Dean, was starting to fuss again. Annie was not an expert at changing diapers, and she was not going fast enough.

“Turns out I’m not good at everything,” she said when she heard Louis come in. She had managed to pin the diaper without poking the baby, but her onesie was still unsnapped.

He chuckled and stepped in to finish up. “We’re about to eat,” he said. “Go on. We’ll be right there.”

Everyone except Helen and Louis had gathered in the formal dining room but still hovered around the table.

Kelly was sitting with Lindsay at the coffee table in the living room. “I volunteered,” she said, winking and lifting her glass of wine in salute.

Lori and Louis sat at the ends of the table, his parents sat on one side, and Annie and Helen sat on the other. There were little place cards with names written in gold ink and little copper-foiled cornucopias that matched the large one in the middle. Cream-colored candles had been placed symmetrically around the ornamental container.

It was a little much for Annie’s taste, but everyone else gushed. Helen came down the stairs just as Louis returned with Kimberly, and though Helen was all smiles, her eyes were rimmed with red. Louis put the baby in the high chair next to Lori. Once everyone had gathered, they sat.

“I thought we could say grace before we brought out the food,” Lori said.

“That’ll give the rolls enough time to finish browning,” Betty said pointedly.

Lori rolled her eyes, but Louis stepped in. “I’ll pray!”

Everyone reached out and grasped hands with the person next to them.

Helen gave Annie’s hand a little squeeze.

* * *

“What is that?” Helen asked, turning the lamp on and squinting.

“My pager,” Annie said, feeling a peculiar mix of guilt and anger. She glanced at the bathroom door, but it was closed. Kelly had moved to an air mattress in Lindsay’s room to make spacefor Louis’s parents, so they were more careful about closing the doors to the bathroom.

“What time is it?” Helen reached for her glasses, then answered her own question. “It’s after midnight.”

“Technically, no longer Thanksgiving,” Annie muttered. “Assholes.”

“So don’t call.”

“They have a real habit of ruining my life when I ignore them,” Annie said. “I agreed to do this until I graduated, so I have to.”

She got up, dug the pager out of her bag, and silenced it, then leaned against the dresser and rubbed her eyes. She wanted to ignore them; she really did. But she didn’t want suspicious-looking cars parking outside Helen’s house either, watching her or her children, and she didn’t want ghosts from her past showing up to make veiled threats. She wasn’t scared for her own well-being, but the idea of her parents getting hurt, or Helen and her family, was unbearable. It was the same sick feeling as when she saw Dasha clutching her dead child, and it threatened to overwhelm her now like a heavy stone of guilt and grief in her gut.

“I’ll be right back.”

But Helen got up and followed her into the office. There was no point in arguing with her, tired and bleary as they both were. Annie flipped on the switch, recoiling when the bright overhead light came on.

“What if they want you there right now?”

“They know where I am,” Annie said, picking up the phone on the desk. She tucked it against her shoulder and dialed the number on the pager.

“Hello?”

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