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“Tea sounds good,” Kristy whispers.
I saunter into their kitchen. Having a good idea of where things are from the previous night, I put the water to boil and grab three cups from their cabinet. They have quite an impressive tea collection.
Plain black tea, black tea with vanilla, green tea with oranges, green tea with lemons, blueberry tea, berry cupcake tea.
What the hell is berry cupcake tea?
I sniff the sweet-smelling tea box suspiciously before putting it back in the drawer.
Once the water is boiled, I pour it into three cups and arrange them on a tray with a squeeze bottle of honey, spoons, and a box of green tea with oranges.
I place the items on the coffee table in their living room.
“Charlie was running in the backyard when he slipped and broke his leg. He’ll be in a cast for over a month,” Kristy explains after taking a sip of the tea.
It’s bad, but I still can’t make the link between a child’s broken limb and Kristy’s current condition. Marr seems to be having the same thoughts.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Kris. Charlie can be awfully naughty at times.” An intimate smile breaks on Marr’s face. As every other time when I see her attachment to Oscar and his family, I curse myself for not visiting Cherrywood sooner.
“Yes.” Kristy smiles a genuine smile for the first time. “But it’s not only that.” Her voice gets a hesitant lilt. “Oscar’s mother was also at the hospital, and when she saw me, it got a little out of hand.”
“Really, why?” Marr fixes her glasses, as she always does whenever she’s thinking about a big problem.
My own curiosity is piqued as I watch Kristy fumbling with her words.
“I gave her a pretty good reason. We were in the waiting area when Charlie and Oscar returned from the exam room. Charlie mumbled, ‘Mom, can you hold me?’ and that set Oscar’s mother off.” Kristy glances nervously between me and Marr.
Oh, boy. So, this is the elephant in the room.
A smile draws on my lips. I’m happy and surprised, but it’ll be interesting to see how Marr responds to this great revelation.
“Mom? Oscar’s wife is back?” Marr’s brows knit together in confusion.
Okay, totally unexpected response.
“No. And he doesn’t have a wife. Only an ex-wife and it’s been years.” Kristy stands up, almost screaming at Marr. Now that’s the Kristy I know.
“Um, okay. Then who is ‘Mom’?” Marr’s hands rest on the cuffs of her shirt, ready to be pulled.
“If Oscar decides to marry someone, she will be Charlie’s mom, no?” Kristy doesn’t sound very pleased at her friend’s lack of comprehension.
“Oscar is getting… married? To someone we know?” Marr is still a few steps away from the great realization.
Kristy looks at me with exasperation, and I bite back my laugh.
“Yes, someone you know, Rosie. Someone you know very well. Maybe your best friend.” She points to herself. “He’s marrying me silly.”
Kristy’s cheeks turn pink, and in this rare moment, she seems bashful. When Marr doesn’t reply, she perches back on the couch and grabs her friend’s hands. “Are you upset that I didn’t tell you sooner?”
“Um, no. I-I’m surprised, Kris.” Marr looks from Kristy to me. “But I’m also very happy.”
“But why are you upset?” I ask Kristy. We still haven’t heard the reason for the tissues flooding the floor of their living room.
“Oscar’s mom freaked out when he told her that we were together and he’d proposed to me.” Kristy waves her hand, displaying a huge ring.
My gaze turns to Marr as her expression changes from confusion to excitement.
Kristy continues. “She told Oscar that he was making the same mistake again and that I could never be a good mother to Charlie; not the kind of mother he needs. She created a huge scene at the hospital, and I had to leave. But since then, Oscar isn’t picking up my calls.” Her voice trembles. “I’m scared I’ve lost everything already.”
