right with you and Peg, isn’t it?” he asked, his voice worried.
“After thirty-two years, it should be, don’t you think?”
“You never know.” He desperately wanted evidence of one solid marriage, just to prove it was still possible in these days of easy divorce. One marriage that could survive a crisis… He thought of his ex-wife—and he thought of Olivia. He’d never wanted a woman with the intensity he wanted her. He—
“Jack?” Bob’s voice broke his concentration.
He glanced up.
“Are you going to stare at your cards all night or are you going to discard?”
“Discard.”
“Something on your mind?” Bob asked.
“Like what?” Jack said.
Bob grinned, obviously a man capable of reading all the signs. “Like Olivia.”
Jack gave an exaggerated shrug. “That readable, am I?”
Bob chuckled. “No more readable than Peg and me.”
“Nothing wrong, is there?” He didn’t mean to belabor the point, but the thought of problems between Bob and Peggy depressed him. They were the one couple he knew who’d found happiness and clung to it through all the years, both good and bad.
“We’re fine. What about you?”
“I’m okay, just a bit disappointed.”
“Olivia?”
Jack nodded, and nothing more was said.
They finished the first game, and by then Peggy had dinner dished up and ready to serve. Good food and good friends. It was the best meal he’d had in weeks, but Jack decided that the company was even more satisfying than the food.
The accident aboard the John F. Reynolds made headlines on the national news for several days. Cecilia was in daily contact with Ian. Some days she couldn’t get to a computer, so she wrote out her thoughts. These letters would take a week or longer to reach him, but Ian said he enjoyed hearing from her in any form.
With finals in only two classes, Cecilia had one day in which she didn’t have to be in school. Since she wasn’t scheduled to work until late afternoon, she decided to celebrate and made plans to spend the morning with Cathy.
After examining her at the Navy Hospital, the attending physician had told Cathy that the pregnancy was safe but suggested she quit her job as a cashier at the local grocery. Being on her feet for an eight-hour shift wasn’t good for her or the baby. Not wanting to take any chances, Cathy had immediately handed in her notice.
When Cecilia arrived at her friend’s duplex, she discovered that Carol Greendale had stopped by, too. Cecilia almost changed her mind and turned around. Almost. Carol’s little girl was just a day or two older than Allison would have been. Cecilia dreaded seeing the baby and was drawn to her in equal parts.
“Hello, Carol,” she said in a friendly voice, pretending she was at ease with the other woman. Little Amanda was toddling happily around the apartment, examining everything in sight, reaching for books, trying to grab knickknacks, pulling at the curtains.
“Come here, Amanda,” Carol urged, holding out her arms for her daughter. The child immediately lurched toward her mother, shrieking with pleasure.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Cathy said, gripping Cecilia’s hand tightly as if to let her know she understood.
“We were just talking about the John F. Reynolds,” Carol explained, bouncing the child on her lap.
“Carol came by with the latest news,” Cathy said.
“I just heard they’re heading back,” Carol squealed.
“The John F. Reynolds is coming back to the shipyard in Bremerton?” Cecilia wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding. Where the aircraft carrier would go for repairs had been undecided.
“Yes!” No one could doubt Cathy’s excitement.
“When will they get here?” Sheer joy raised Cecilia’s voice.
“It shouldn’t be long.”
Cecilia felt hopeful about her marriage, especially after the last few weeks. Ian had communicated with her practically every day. In the beginning, most of what they’d exchanged had been ordinary, everyday information. Facts more than feelings. But as the weeks went on, they’d both felt ready to venture into more dangerous territory—their daughter and her death.
In the process, Cecilia realized that she’d heaped too much of the blame on Ian’s shoulders. She hadn’t meant to, but trapped in grief and pain, she’d lashed out at him. It wasn’t fair, she’d known that even at the time, but she hadn’t been able to prevent those reactions. Dealing with his own shock, Ian hadn’t been much help to Cecilia. Almost a year had passed now, giving each of them a new perspective on the role they’d played in nearly destroying their marriage.
“Let me get the baby a cracker,” Cathy said, moving into the kitchen.
“That’s not necessary,” Carol told her.
“Oh, I want to.”
Cathy looked pointedly in Cecilia’s direction. “Come and give me a hand,” she murmured.
Cecilia jumped up with alacrity.
Carol seemed confused and a little affronted. Cecilia felt bad about that, but Cathy obviously had something important to tell her.
“Andrew knows about the baby,” Cathy whispered the minute they entered the kitchen.
“How?”
“I told him. I had to. He wanted to know why I quit my job. I tried to edge around the truth, but we made a promise never to lie to each other and so I…I explained that I’m pregnant.”
“And?”
Cathy stared down at the floor. “He’s afraid, just like I am, and kind of hurt that I hadn’t told him sooner.”
“Under all of that I’m sure he’s thrilled.”
Cathy nodded. “I know he is. We both want this baby so much.”
Cathy seemed about to dissolve into tears and might have if little Amanda hadn’t let out a frustrated cry. Cathy hurriedly found a soda cracker and brought it into the living room.
Carol was busy picking up toys. “It’s time I went home,” she murmured.
“You just got here,” Cathy protested.
“I know…it’s just that…” She glanced at Cecilia, as if to say that now Cathy’s other friend had arrived, she was obviously less welcome.
Ever sensitive, Cathy shook her head. “I hope you’ll forgive me for being so rude,
