“Since freshman year in high school. I’ll never forgive you for moving away.”
“Oh, god, remember that last night, when we were both crying like crazy?”
Jillian nodded. “I think my mom had to go out and buy more Kleenex.”
They laughed; then Suzie looked down at Jillian’s belly. “How many months?”
“Seven,” Jillian said. “I’m way too old to be doing this, but it was now or never.”
“Congratulations.”
“What about you? Do you have any kids?”
Suzie smiled, digging into her purse. “Uh-oh, out come the pictures.”
She brought out her cell phone, flicked a button, and showed the screen to Jillian. Two attractive teens stared up at her. “James and Lisa. Thirteen and sixteen.”
“They’re gorgeous,” Jillian said.
“Fortunately, they look just like their father.”
“Oh, stop it. You’re as beautiful as ever.”
Suzie laughed and shook her head. “God, I’ve missed you, Jills. I think about you all the time.”
“Me, too,” Jillian said, feeling a hitch in her throat. “Oh, crap, I think I’m gonna cry.”
“That’s just the hormones.”
“No kidding. I’ve got ’em to spare.”
They laughed again, and a voice rang out behind them.
“ There you are. We’ve been looking all over for you.”
Jillian turned.
“Oh, good,” she said, “you’re just in time. I want you to meet my best friend in the whole world, Susan Leah Oliver.”
“Fenton,” Suzie corrected. “I left the name Oliver behind a long time ago.”
“Well, Susan Fenton, this is my husband, Danny, his cousin Jake, and Jake’s wife, Ronnie.”
They all shook hands, then Susan frowned. “This is gonna sound strange, but I think we went to high school together. You’re Danny Pope, right?”
“You’re from Ludlow?”
“Yes and no,” Suzie told him. “When my family left Salcedo, we moved to Ludlow, but we only lived there for about four months. But I remember, you used to work at The Hungry Spoon. I’d go in there once in a while and get a slice of pie.”
Danny nodded. “That’s right, I remember now. French apple, right?”
Suzie laughed. “Right.” She looked at Jillian. “So how did you two meet?”
“In college, actually. We both had the same major, so we shared a lot of classes, and it was pretty much love at first sight. I don’t know, but the minute I saw him, I felt like we’d known each other forever. Right, Danny?”
“Like it was destiny or something.”
“That’s wonderful,” Suzie said.
Jillian nodded, grabbing Danny’s arm, pulling him close. “Then later we both got certified and went into business together.”
“Oh? What kind of business?”
“We have a hypnotherapy clinic downtown,” Danny said. “Jillian does the chronic smokers and bed wetters and I specialize in forensics.”
“He works with the police a lot,” Jillian said.
“Hypnotherapy, huh? I’ll have to look you up sometime and you can put me under, discover all my deep, dark secrets.”
They all laughed and Suzie checked her watch. “Oh, crap. I’ve gotta go. But it was great seeing you, Jills.” She touched Jillian’s stomach. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“A boy,” Jillian said. “We’re thinking of calling him Ben.”
“Great name. I almost used that one myself, but my husband overruled me.” She smiled. “Anyway, I’d better get out of here. Give me your number and I’ll call you.”
They exchanged numbers, gave each other a hug, then Suzie said her good-byes and headed for the exit.
“Nice girl,” Danny said, watching her as she walked away.
“Keep your eyes in your head, buster. You’re taken.” She looked at the bags in his hands. “Did you buy me anything?”
“Fat chance,” Danny told her. “You’d only return it.”
“Don’t worry,” Jake said. “I bought you something.”
“Oh?”
“Well, not really for you. But for Ben, once you pop the little bugger out.”
“What is it?” Jillian asked. “Let me see.”
Jake dug around in his bag. “It was actually Ronnie’s idea. We saw it in the Babies ‘R’ Us window and couldn’t resist.”
“ He couldn’t resist,” Ronnie said. “I had nothing to do with it.”
“Well, come on, spill.”
Jillian watched as Jake dug around in the bag some more and finally found what he was looking for.
When he brought it out, Jillian felt another hitch in her throat and tears in her eyes. The hormones kicking in again.
“Oh, my god,” she said, “it’s perfect.”
She took it from him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned it in her hands, thinking how cute her baby boy would look wearing it.
It was a baseball cap.
A little red baseball cap.
