Quilt By Association

before Neelie pulled it from her hand then lost her grip and dropped it. The phone skittered across the tile floor before landing screen-side-up, a large crack across its face.

'I'm so sorry,” Neelie said, and began bouncing the baby, who was now crying, in a futile attempt to calm the child.

'May I try?” Aunt Beth asked and held her hands out.

Neelie handed her the child, and Aunt Beth carried the baby to the art wall and began talking in a low voice. The baby quieted, listening to Beth's voice.

Harriet bent down and picked up the broken remains of her phone.

'I'm so sorry,” Neelie repeated again. “I didn't mean to break it.'

'So, you're not sorry you grabbed it?” Harriet said and glared at her.

'You don't understand-I have to talk to Aiden Jalbert.'

'I get that. What I don't get is why you think that gives you the right to grab my phone and break it.'

'I wasn't trying to break your phone, I just heard you say ‘Aiden,’ and-'

'And you couldn't just ask to speak to him?'

Neelie looked down. “I'm sorry,” she said again in a quieter voice.

'Why don't you stop apologizing and tell us why you need to talk to Aiden so desperately you're willing to tackle my niece to do it?” Aunt Beth said. Harriet hadn't notice her return to the sitting area with the now-sleeping baby in her arms. Beth sat down and looked pointedly at the two chairs on either side of her.

Neelie came to the chairs and, after a moment's hesitation, sat down. Harriet took her own chair, picked up her hot chocolate and took a sip.

'Start talking,” she said.

'I need to find him to give him his child,” Neelie said.

'And we're supposed to take your word for it that this is his child?'

'You don't have to take anything. I don't know you, why should I care what you think? If you know Aiden Jalbert, then you know he will want to take care of his child.'

'Why are you giving the child away?” Aunt Beth asked.

'I'm not giving her away,” Neelie said. “I'm bringing her to her father.'

'Why?” Aunt Beth repeated.

'It's not your business, but Kissa is not my baby. She is my sister Nabirye's child.” Tears welled in Neelie's eyes. “My sister passed away two weeks ago yesterday, in the hospital in Jinja.'

Harriet handed her a napkin, and the young woman dabbed at her eyes.

'Before she died, she asked me to bring Kissa to her father.'

'Does Aiden know about Kissa?” Aunt Beth asked.

'I don't know. Maybe not. He left Uganda before Kissa was born.'

'You didn't ask your sister?” Harriet asked.

Neelie looked at her and started crying again.

'She was in pain. It was difficult for her. She asked me to take the baby to Aiden, and I promised I would. That's all I know.” She sagged back in her chair and wept quietly into her napkin.

Harriet looked at her aunt. Beth gave a slight shrug.

'Look,” Harriet said. “If Aiden calls back…” After I get a new phone, thank you very much. “…you'll be the first to know. How will I get in touch with you?'

'I'm staying at the Hampton Inn on Highway One-oh-one.'

Neelie took Kissa from Aunt Beth and, without another word, left the coffee shop.

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes.

'I pity that child if she ends up with that woman for a mother,” Aunt Beth said.

'I didn't get that she wants any continued involvement. She talks about the baby like she's a package.'

'If Aiden doesn't want her, she may have no choice.'

'I think we both know Aiden better than that. If that's his baby, and it very well could be, he'll do the right thing.'

'I wouldn't jump to any conclusions about the baby's parentage until we talk to him,” Beth said. “Yes, she has blue eyes, but I took a good look at her while I was holding her. She doesn't really look like Aiden or any of the Jalberts. And her eyes have more blue color than his-they look lighter because of her dark skin. They are definitely blue, but I didn't see a speck of that icy-white color Aiden has.'

'Why would the woman lie about something like that? And why would she come all the way from Africa if he isn't the baby's father? Aiden's been back for eight or nine months-the baby might not have even been born when he left.'

'Don't you think he'd notice if his girlfriend was nine months pregnant?'

'You'd think, but he told me he traveled among three locations. Maybe he didn't see her when she was big.'

'They were close enough to have a baby, but he didn't say goodbye before he left? And then he just moved on with you without a backward glance. Come on-does that sound like Aiden to you?'

'You're right. Ignoring my own insecurities, you're right. It doesn't sound like him.'

Beth picked up her mocha and took a long drink.

'There's one way to find out,” she said. “Call him.'

Harriet held up her broken phone and laughed.

'I wish I could.'

Beth started digging in her purse for her own phone. Harriet reached over and stilled her aunt's hand.

'This can wait,” she said. “Aiden is dealing with a horrific situation with the dogs in Ephrata. He doesn't need this on top of everything else. Especially since he can't do anything about the situation until he gets back. Assuming there is something he needs to do besides telling Neelie Obote to take a flying leap.'

'Let's hope that's the case.'

Harriet leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes.

'At least we haven't talked about our dog blocks for…” She opened one eye and looked at a clock built into the side of a striped coffee mug on the art wall. “…one hour and twelve minutes.'

Aunt Beth sipped her mocha again. “I know Lauren thinks the Small Stitches coincidentally came up with the same dog face design we did, but I'm not so sure. They might have thought of the idea of using a dog face, but how many different breeds are there? What are the odds they would accidentally choose those with the same colors we did?'

'Yeah, and Mavis told me they are some of the worst offenders when it comes to using a commercial pattern without giving the designer credit.'

'She's right. I can't remember them ever doing an original design, now that I think about it.'

'Jenny said she'd heard they were doing a Maggie Walker pattern-one of her golfing friends is a Small Stitch. Why would they change that once they were started?'

'They might be doing more than one, just like we are,” Beth suggested. “But I agree, something is a little off about all this.'

'I think we need to be careful who's around when we unveil our next batch of blocks. In fact, maybe we should meet at the studio next time.'

'What if we suggest that if anyone has their blocks done, they bring them to DeAnn's shower, and we can preview them afterwards?'

'I'll call people when we get home.'

'No, I'll call. You need to get busy on that quilt for Phyllis. Besides, you need to spend your spare time getting a new cell phone.'

'I'd better get started, then.'

Harriet stood and drained the remaining chocolate from her cup, picked up her aunt's mug and took both to the dirty dish station. Aunt Beth gathered their purses and her sweater and met her at the door.