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“That delivery guy is really strange,” I comment softly to myself. Then louder, “He didn’t even wait around for a tip.”
Liz shoulders her way inside, carrying the flowers in one arm. She puts them on the table by her front door. There is a puzzled look on her face as she plucks the note card from the flowers. “These roses and tulips are pretty,” she says.
She reads the note card and frowns in concentration.
Her reaction piques my curiosity. “Who are they from?” I ask. I’m sure to keep my voice level, not wanting to let her know about the little stab of jealousy I felt when I first saw the flowers.
When Liz looks back at me, she still wears a puzzled look. It’s even more pronounced now. “They aren’t from you?”
“No, they’re not from me. The note doesn’t say who they’re from?”
“No, it doesn’t say who they’re from,” she replies. “And neither did the last note, the one from the hospital. Neither of them said who they were from.”
“Let me see the card,” I demand, my voice coming out sterner than I intended. “Do you still have the first one?”
She hands it to me and then opens the drawer to pull out another note card. Both note cards are plain white. The silver embossing on the outside reads “Thinking of You.”
I opened up the first note from the delivery at the hospital. It’s written in pretty, flowing cursive. Curiously, I read it out loud.
Lizzie, I heard what happened. What a nightmare, I’m thinking about you. I’m glad you and the baby are safe -Sincerely
Then, I open up the second one.
Lizzie, As your pregnancy progresses, I look forward to watching you grow. I’m so happy that your life is falling into place. Isn’t it great to geteverything you ever wanted? Wish I could say the same about myself, but at least one of us is living our perfect life. I hope our paths will cross soon. -Sincerely
“And you have no idea who these are from?” I clarify, my eyes narrowing in question.
Liz takes her bottom lip between her teeth and takes the notes from me. “Well, when I got the first one, I thought they were from my friend Peggy. We have both been so busy that we haven’t seen each other much. When I talked to her on the phone, I forgot to ask her about the flowers. But this second note makes me think those hospital flowers weren’t from her.”
“I agree. This doesn’t sound like something a friend would write.”
Liz is squinting at me with an accusing look. “You did this, right? You’re playing with me. I don’t like jokes like this, so just fess up.”
I hold my hands up as though surrendering. “No, I swear, it wasn’t me.”
“Weird! Then, that leaves only Trent,” she says, with reluctance in her voice. I’m sure she doesn’t want to bring up his name because that will only lead to more questions from me.
She’s not wrong.
“He doesn’t seem the type to do anonymous gestures. I’d think he’d want the credit,” I say with a little snicker.
“I would have thought so, too,” she shrugs. “Obviously, we were wrong.”
“I know you said you aren’t dating him . . .” I leave the comment out there, unfinished. A heated feeling invades my chest.
“Ethan,” she says in warning. “We aren’t getting into my personallife right now.”
Instant irritation hits me. I want to tell her that there’s nothing more personal than having my baby. I shouldn’t ask her about Trent, but that’s not going to stop me. “I think I have a right to know if you’re dating someone. Especially if it’s that asshole,” I say reasonably.
“That supposed asshole has been around for the last eight months. Where were you during that time?” she retorts. Then, she snaps her fingers like she just figured it out. “Oh yeah, you were on your yacht in the middle of the damn ocean. Ialmostforgot about that.”
“I already apologized for leaving.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then, what’s the point?” I fire back.
“The point is that you and I aren’t ever getting back together, not that we were ever really together in the first place. If I choose to date Trent, then that’s my right.”
