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“What?” Moira shrieked. “Are you freaking kiddingme?”
Even Moni looked surprised. “Wow…”
Karen scowled. “Is it that difficult to believe a man might want to live withme?”
“Not at all,” Nina said. “I think we’re more surprised you would considerit.”
Karen had always been adamant that she would never marry, never even live with a man again. She liked her privacy, her independence, her solitude. There was nothing she could get out of living with a man that she couldn’t get if they both kept their ownplaces.
“I thought Doug lived on the Upper West Side,” Monisaid.
“He does, but he just bought a brownstone on Clinton Hill. He said it’s too big for him to live inalone.”
“I’m so pissed you didn’t call me the second this happened,” Ninasaid.
“Sorry, Neen. I wasprocessing.”
Nina thought about the days she’d spent alone after breaking up with Jack the second time, about all the hours she’d spent crying into Virginia’s fur and pigging out on takeout and staring at dumb TV shows while she tried to get her head around everything that had happened. She hadn’t called Karen until she had her head onstraight.
“It’s fine.” Nina crawled across the blanket and tackled Karen in a hug. “I’m so happy foryou!”
“This blouse is silk, just so you know,” Karen said as she tipped backward, off the sheet and onto the grass. She laughed. “But thankyou.”
Nina pulled back to look at her face. “So you’re going to doit?”
Karen nodded. “I think so. But I’ll keep my apartment for awhile, just incase.”
“Are you happy?” Ninaasked.
“I am.” Karen smiled and Nina realized that her face looked different. She still said all the old Karen things, pretending to be demanding and cynical, but her eyes were brighter than usual, her expressionrelaxed.
“Now all we have to do is get Robin here and we’ll have a perfect middle-aged Utopia,” Amysaid.
Robin grinned. “You never know what the future willbring.”
“Come see, Mommy!” Angela called from the origamitent.
Moni got to her feet. “Dutycalls.”
Ruth started to whine about having to go to the bathroom and Amy and Moira jumped to theirfeet.
Amy laughed. “Speaking ofdoody.”
“Oh, babe…” Moira laughed. “That’s, like, a dadjoke.”
Amy picked up Ruth. “Well, the joke’s going to be on both of us if we don’t find a toiletstat.”
They hurried away from the blanket and Karen sighed. “God, I’m glad that’s all behindme.”
“Same,” Robin said. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved every minute of being a mom with young kids, but I did it, and I’m glad it’sdone.”
Karen looked at her. “And aren’t you glad you did it while you were young? I can’t imagine dealing with diapers at this phase in mylife.”
“I wouldn’t say glad,” Robin said. “It was hard being young — financially and otherwise. As emotionally mature as I felt, when I look back I feel like I wastwelve.”
“Speak for yourself,” Karen said. “I was a solid emotional fourteen-year-old when I hadAlex.”
Robin laughed, her gaze scanning the lawn full of people, a smile on her face. “Isn’t it weird how things seem to work out for the best? You keep growing, stay open to the possibilities, and one day you wake up and realize you’re right where you were meant to be all along.” She looked at Nina. “Speaking of staying open to the possibilities, Jason wants to set up a meeting to see yourpictures.”
