I stood up and went over to rescue Lolly from Ben’s happy display. “Yes, he’s the cutest, but I’m trying to teach him not to jump up on people.” I scooped up my white ball of fluff and gave him some cuddles. When he settled down, I put him back in his bed. He seemed to get the message. After several turns round and round, he laid back down and closed his eyes.
Lolly sat down in an overstuffed chair by the window. Throughout her pregnancy, she retained a buoyant attitude and a fit body. Something had changed. Her movements were labored and her face had lost its normal glow.
I reclaimed my seat on my rocker and spoke up. “Are you okay?” I asked. As soon as I did, I felt like I was parroting Stanley’s question.
“I don’t know if I am or not,” Lolly said with a sigh.
That sigh was the fourth one I’d heard that day. Stanley’s three expressions of woe were concerning, but Lolly’s sigh of weariness was more troubling. “Have you been overdoing it?” I asked.
Lolly shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s Mom. I talked to her before I came here, and she sounded very upset. I think she and Adam quarreled before he left to visit his relatives in New York.”
The news made me stop rocking. I wasn’t crazy about my mom dating someone after divorcing my father, but I’d made peace with it all. As time went on, I was relieved to find out Mom had chosen well. Adam seemed like a really, good guy.
I stared at Lolly. “But they’ve been together for almost a year. They always seem so happy. What happened?”
“I don’t know. Mom wouldn’t say, but she sounded like she’s been crying.”
I frowned. “Mom is the nicest person ever. So whatever happened, it must be Adam’s fault.”
Lolly shook her head. “Gloria, please, remember how upset you were with Dad last year? You blamed him when it came to Mom and Dad splitting up. Then you found out that their divorce wasn’t all his fault. So maybe you shouldn’t assume that Adam is to blame for whatever is upsetting Mom now.”
It was my turn to sigh. “I agree. And I don’t want to keep judging people, especially now.”
“Why especially now?” Lolly asked.
I patted my belly. “I tried to explain this to Stanley, but he seemed clueless.”
“Explain what?”
“I have to keep myself calm and relaxed if I’m going to prevent this baby from coming on Christmas day.”
Lolly frowned back. “Why would the baby come on Christmas?”
“I just have this overwhelming feeling that if my emotions get out of whack, the baby will come before its due date. I’ll end up with a baby born on Christmas day, and I can’t let that happen.”
Lolly sat back and groaned. “You’re right. I had a classmate who had a Christmas birthday, and she hated it.”
I threw up my hands. “See that? You understand perfectly. So why didn’t Stanley know what the problem was?”
“Maybe Stanley has a lot on his mind,” Lolly said. “Ever since you got pregnant, he hasn’t seemed quite his usual, calm self.”
I thought about Stanley’s nightmare and what he’d told me earlier. “I’m sure you’re right. He doesn’t care if our child has a Christmas birthday. He just wants our baby to be healthy and okay.” I paused and blinked at Lolly. “He’s right, isn’t he?”
Lolly shrugged. “Of course, he is, but you can’t be hard on yourself for wanting your child to have their own special day each year.”
I nodded, feeling somewhat validated. “Anyway, we were talking about Mom. Do you think we should pop in for a visit?”
“Yes, and you’re so lucky, Gloria. Mom bought a house close to you,” Lolly said as she pushed herself out of her chair. “Let’s get some air and see what we can find out.”
With some effort, I stood up too. “Even if she doesn’t want to talk about her upset, we could discuss Thanksgiving at Dad’s house.”
Lolly’s face brightened. “I think she’s proud of him. He really listened to her instructions when he was learning to cook for himself. Now, after selling the condo and moving into a bigger house, he wants to host Thanksgiving for all of us. Isn’t that an incredible surprise? I don’t think he even knew how to boil water when he and Mom got married.”
“Thankfully, he won’t have to host Thanksgiving alone. Mom said she’ll help.”
Lolly scowled. “Yeah, Thanksgiving dinner can be quite a challenge. A while back, I made a turkey and all the fixings for Gerald’s aunt and uncle when they were in town, remember?”
My brows went up. “Oh yes, you said they were traveling out of the country during the holidays. And they told Gerald how much they missed the feast they usually had.”
