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Second Epilogue
♥?♥?♥
Paula
PAULA TOOK THE PHONE FROM THE HANDthat ceremoniously offered it, gathered herself, stretched her neck, flexed her fingers, crossed them for luck, and then took the plunge and dialed. “Hey, Mama. How’s your knee?”
“It’s fine. What’s wrong?” her mother asked immediately.
“Why would you think anything’s wrong?” Paula squirmed in her seat.
“When my baby calls me Mama instead of Mom, I know something’s got to be wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong! In fact, you know what, I’m calling you with good news.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, and I’ll get to it in a minute. First I’ve got some things to say.”
“I knew it. Stuart, come over here.”
“Mama—no, it’s not what you’re thinking.”
“What am I thinking?” Lori Raymond demanded.
“You’re thinking some disaster has befallen me, and that is untrue. There is nothing to worry about.”
“Then what?” Her mother’s voice faded out as she said something to Paula’s father. Paula waited impatiently while her parents argued about what Paula was going to tell them.
“Hello? I’m right here, guys. You don’t have to speculate.”
“All right, baby. Tell us the bad news.”
“It’s not bad! It’s good news! But…”
“Uh-huh. It’s thebutI’m worried about.”
“Worried?” Paula let herself be derailed. “About what? What do you have to be worried about? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Baby I was at your wedding. I met that witch. Of course I’m worried.”
“That was over a year ago. Nineteen months ago. I told you everything is great.”
“That’s what you tell me. You tell me your marriage is going well, and everything’s going hunky-dory. But I know my baby. I know you’re stressed.”
“Right.” Paula took a deep breath. “Actually, that’s true. It hasn’t been all roses and sunshine.”
“I knew it. You’ve been cushioning me from the truth. What’s been going on? Tell me.”
“I haven’t been cushioning you. I’ve just…I don’t want you to worry about things that aren’t important.”
“Child, you have no idea what I’ve worried about in my lifetime. Tell me.”
“So I have been a little stressed, and this does have to do with Bastian’s mother.”
“Belinda.” Mom said the word as if naming the devil.
“Right. You met her at the wedding. What I didn’t tell you was how awful she was before it. Once we got engaged she kept harping on Bastian to break it off. To add to the whole mess, his father—”
