Page 17 of Second Chances

Amy

Go, girl!

Anyway, I thought his sister told you DD was nothing to worry about.

Charlotte

She did, but he is sitting next to her in a tiny booth.

Weird, right?

Oh, wait, now he just moved back to the other side.

But his hand is reaching out…he’s holding her hand!

Amy

Maybe she’s upset about something.

She seemed like the high-strung type.

And from what you’ve said about Henry, that’s not what he’s into.

Torn, Charlotte bit her bottom lip, uncomfortable that she was a grown-ass woman acting like a teenager. Should she just walk over and say hi? Sitting immobile, watching them, certainly wasn’t making her feel better. Then she could just leave. Tossing a twenty-dollar bill on the table to cover her uneaten breakfast plus a tip for Sissy, she gathered her purse and coat and scooted to the edge of her booth. At that moment, Ruth walked in and, after a brief chat with the hostess, went over to talk to Henry and DD. Charlotte slunk into her booth. No way could she leave discreetly now, because Ruth had eyes like a hawk, and the last thing Charlotte wanted was to make small talk with Henry while he sat with DD. Sissy approached Ruth, pointing to the kitchen. Wait—was Henry leaving? He had his phone to his ear as he walked out of the diner.

Ruth then waved in her direction, which Charlotte half-heartedly returned, cringing when DD’s gaze met hers. After making a beeline for her table, Ruth greeted her, “Hi, Charlotte, Merry Christmas,” and then flagged Sissy for a cup of coffee. “I’m so glad you’re here. I wanted to thank you for that bread you made. It was so scrumptious.”

As part of a care package for Ruth after her second daughter was born, Charlotte had baked two loaves of bread and delivered them to her house. “Thanks. It was my grandma’s recipe.”

“And Sean hasn’t stopped raving about those jams, either. He’s obsessed. As soon as the weather is good, we’re going to drive out to the Hutterite colony to get some more.”

“Well, I picked those up at a farmer’s market, which I think will be starting up again in the spring.” Charlotte kept an eye on DD, who had gotten up from her table to walk to the door. Was she leaving, too? And where had Henry gone? “How’s the family?”

“Well, Arielle sleeps, eats, and poops, so she’s perfect. Eloisa is close to walking, so we will soon have a toddler on our hands. Sean, as usual, is brilliant.” Ruth took a sip of coffee, then asked, “How was your holiday?”

“Very nice. I went to Iowa to see my daughter and Amy, but I had to come home early because of the storm.”

“I’m sorry your time was cut short, but I’m glad you’re back,” Ruth told her. “Sean’s mom and sisters are in town, so we have a houseful. Poor Sean, all that estrogen. He’s always so relieved when my dad comes over. Takes the edge off slightly.” Ruth had mentioned once that her husband’s dad had passed when he was a teenager. “I came over to get some breakfast sandwiches for everyone. Have you heard from Effie since she’s been in New York?”

Charlotte shook her head. “No, why?”

“Oh, her stepdad had what they thought was a heart attack. Josh called Sean at the hospital, asking what surgeon was on call last night. Turns out it was a case of angina, but still pretty severe.”

“Poor Effie,” Charlotte sympathized, having had her own struggles when her parents were in ill health.

“Yeah, I know. I was just asking Henry and Diadema how everyone is doing.”

Confused, Charlotte asked, “I’m sorry—how are Henry and DD involved?”

“DD? You mean Diadema?”

Charlotte grimaced. “Yes, sorry. That’s how she was first introduced to me.”

“Wow—calling her DD puts her in a new light,” Ruth grinned.

“Well, I’m not sure she likes it, because she corrected Trixie.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Well, regardless what she’s called, you do know that she is Effie’s mom, right?”