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“What?” Carmella was confused. She already knew that Alyssa had decided to carry her sister, Maggie’s embryo, to term, as Maggie had struggled with IVF. But how could Maggie also be pregnant? “I thought Maggie and Rex were getting divorced?”
“They are,” Elsa whispered. “This is another guy!”
Carmella’s head spun. “Another guy? But Maggie and Alyssa just moved to the island!”
Elsa laughed and popped to her feet as Carmella made space for her on the couch, clearing away Georgia’s clean laundry, which still needed to be folded. Meanwhile, Elsa explained what she knew about Maggie’s new “surprise” man, that he was the son of Heidi, the woman who owned the bookstore called The Dog-Eared Corner. Incidentally, Maggie had just purchased the bookstore to ensure that Heidi could maintain control of it. Furthermore, Maggie and Alyssa had been instrumental in uniting Heidi and her son, David, who hadn’t returned to the island in more than seven years. It was a doozy of a story, one that ended with Maggie’s surprise pregnancy.
“So, it was Rex’s fault,” Carmella breathed, remembering all the horrific IVF treatments, Maggie’s sleepless nights, and her fears that she would never be a mother.
“It seems like Rex has been dragging Maggie down in more ways than one all this time,” Elsa affirmed.
Elsa went on to say that a big party was planned at the Remington House that weekend and that Carmella, Cody, Gretchen, and Georgia were invited.
“I won’t live there much longer,” Elsa added sadly, her face a mix of emotions. “Bruce and I will be able to move into our new place sometime this summer, which is hard to believe.”
Carmella hugged her sister, closing her eyes with the joy she felt for Elsa— that she’d been able to go on and fall in love with a kind and wonderful man, even after Aiden’s death. Carmella had watched from the sidelines for decades as Elsa and Aiden had married, had children, and gone through the textures of time together— her jealousy following her around like a shadow. But when Aiden and their father had passed away within the same year, Elsa had fallen apart.
With the building of her new life with Bruce, they’d sprung for a beautiful property just down the shoreline from the Remington House. There, they would live out the rest of their lives together.
That weekend, Carmella and Cody dropped Gretchen off at Cody’s ex-wife’s, waving exuberantly as Gretchen turned back on the top of the porch steps. Afterward, they drove themselves and baby Georgia to the Remington House, where spring sunlight shone brightly across the sands, the budding trees, and the windows that had been opened to bring in the glorious breeze. It had been a very long and oftentimes depressing winter, yet Carmella and everyone else were ready to open their arms to a springtime of change.
As Georgia slept, Cody took her upstairs to set up the baby monitor, leaving Carmella to find her sister, stepsister, Janine, and stepmother, Nancy, in the kitchen, preparing snacks and desserts for the party ahead. Janine, Alyssa and Maggie's mother, was excited, wearing a bright red dress and lipstick to match, her eyes dancing as she told a story. When Carmella entered, Janine sprung forward to hug Carmella, then said, “Can you believe it, Carmella? Both of my girls?”
Carmella laughed. “Where are you going to put all these babies, Janine?”
Janine blushed. “I don’t have the first idea. I suppose we’ll have to fill up this house.”
“That’s just fine with me,” Nancy said, breezing past to open the fridge. “Carmella, would you like a glass of chardonnay?”
Carmella agreed to a single glass, then followed Elsa to the back porch, where Alyssa, Maggie, and Mallory sat with lemonade and cookies. Apparently, Mallory’s son was with her ex-fiancé, but Lucy, the toddler Maggie and Alyssa were caring for in the wake of Alyssa’s ex-boyfriend’s stint in rehab, sat happily in her highchair, smacking her hands together.
“Hello, darlings!” Carmella bent to hug both Alyssa and Maggie first, followed by Elsa’s daughter, Mallory.
“Hi!” The three of them greeted her in singsong voices and passed her a cookie.
“Mallory was just telling us about her recent case at the law firm,” Maggie explained proudly.
“I don’t think I could ever wrap my head around what you do,” Alyssa said, leaning forward in her chair.
Mallory blushed. “All I do is study. That’s the only reason I’m getting through.”
Carmella sat beside Maggie and nibbled on her cookie, which Maggie had baked for the occasion. Just as with everything Maggie baked, it was to die for. It melted in her mouth decadently, the chocolate chips oozing.
“So, Maggie. Who is this David guy?” Carmella asked, smiling as Maggie’s cheeks flashed crimson.
“She’s in love,” Alyssa teased.
“Oh, whatever,” Maggie said, “David and I find ourselves in a pickle together, I guess.” She placed her hand on her stomach, adding, “Neither of us ever thought we would leave New York City nor ever have our own children. Yet here we are, living in Martha’s Vineyard, and…”
Carmella nodded, understanding that Maggie still didn’t want to jinx the pregnancy by speaking of it too much, that she’d had too many miscarriages to know it wasn’t for sure yet.
“I keep telling Maggie that we’re both going to have twins,” Alyssa joked. “And since both of these pregnancies are legally Maggie’s, I’m out of here immediately afterward. Good luck with the quadruplets, Sis!”
“Don’t forget Lucy,” Maggie added, rolling her eyes at Alyssa’s comedy. Carmella smiled, considering the weight of what these young women planned to do. It was true what Alyssa said, that both babies were legally Maggie’s.So, where did that leave Alyssa when the babies came? And where would Lucy fit into all of that? Did Hunter, Lucy’s father, ever plan to return to pick Lucy up?It was all so unclear.
Alyssa lowered her voice to ask, “I heard Cole’s mistress has been helping you babysit?”
Carmella laughed. “I didn’t know she was his mistress.”
