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Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door. Ah, that must be Martha! I stop playing and close the fall-board and then waddle over to the front door. Sure enough, Martha’s standing there with a cheery expression and a bottle of sparkling apple cider.
“I’ve got the goods!” she exclaims, pulling me into a quick, warm hug. “No alcohol, but the cider’s delicious nonetheless. How are you feeling, dearie?”
When we separate, I take the bottle from her with a giggle.
“Oh Martha, you know you don’t have to stop drinking on my account, although I appreciate the gesture.”
She shakes her head. “No, no. I feel that I’ve been drinking a bit too much since my husband died, so this is good,” she says. “Besides, I love sparkling drinks! It’ll be fun.”
I smile and nod before taking the bottle into the kitchen while Martha gives Luke a long hug and kiss. Then, the three of us sit down at the dining room table, and dig in. Mmm, the food is so good, and I eat three giant meatballs and a plate of spaghetti before Luke and Martha have even finished their appetizers.
“I was famished!” I declare while patting my lips.
Luke looks on approvingly.
“Of course, honey, because you’re eating for two,” he growls. “We’re going to have a very healthy child.”
“Yes, I can’t wait to meet my grandbaby!” Martha declares. But then she winks at both of us. “You know,” she says in a sing-song voice, “I always suspected that your engagement was fake. But then this baby came along, so I figured at least part of it had to be real.”
Luke swallows his cider too quickly and I reach over to pat him on the back as he sputters. He gives me a grateful look before turning to his mother.
“Mother, what are you talking about? Where is this even coming from?”
Martha waves away his question. “You never brought Patty around before, Luke, so that was suspicious. Plus, it didn’t seem as if you knew each other that well at the beginning. A mother has a sixth sense,” she says knowingly.
We both stare at Martha.
“But why didn’t you say anything?” I ask tremulously.
The elderly lady merely grins.
“Because you were good for my son, my dear,” she says simply. “I could see that from the start, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.”
I duck my head a bit sheepishly, but then smile. My mother-in-law accepts me, so what good would it do to hide now? It’s all in the past anyways, so we might as well acknowledge the fib. But does Martha know about my former life, too?
As if reading my mind, my mother-in-law reaches over to pat my hand comfortingly. “There’s no shame in the work you used to do, dear. Why, even in my day, I considered paying my way through college as a lady of the night. But then, of course, I met my husband, and money was no longer an issue. Yet we all do what it takes to make things work, and I’m not going to judge you, Patty,” she says in a kind voice.
Tears fill my eyes then.
“Thank you, Martha,” I say in a choked tone. “I appreciate your understanding.”
“Of course, honey,” she says sympathetically. “Life is strange, and no one can predict how things will turn out.”
But then my mother-in-law looks up brightly.
“Oh, and I also popped by Jamie’s a few weeks ago. You know, the piano bar where you used to play?”
My eyes widened. “You didn’t!”
She grins.
“I did, and it was fun! There was a lovely woman there named Big Momma, and she had some of the most interesting stories to tell.” Martha tops up her glass. “It’s not the most conventional piano bar, I’ll admit, but they have delicious food, and I highly enjoyed myself. Their tuna melts in particular are quite delicious.”
I smile happily at her. “OMG, I think so too. The next time you go there, would you mind bringing me one?”
“Of course, honey. And I’ll tell Kid Cuzo that you say hello too.”
With that, the conversation continues. Dinner with Martha is always so easy, and the food is appetizing. After I’ve devoured another plate of spaghetti, I clear my throat and reach for my cider.
“How is James?” I ask tentatively. “Have either of you heard from him?”
Martha and Luke pause and exchange a glance. I tense, bracing for the worst. After all, Luke’s hunch about Jocelyn was true; his stalker was the one who revealed the truth about me to James, and in a drunken moment, James decided to proposition me. But since that fateful dinner party, James has quit Montgomery Holdings in order to travel the world. I hope he finds himself while exploring these far-flung places, and that he returns with a newfound sense of peace and calm.
“I don’t like speaking ill of my own flesh and blood,” Martha says in a slow voice, “but to be honest, my son has always been a bit of troublemaker. I could excuse it with some ‘boys will be boys’ bullshit, but what he did to you was unforgivable honey.”
