“I couldn’t go to the beach. I couldn’t put on a bathing suit. I was okay in street clothes—by the time I started to really show, you’d already left for college.”
“You could have told us the truth instead of lying all summer long. Friends don’t lock out friends when something bad happens. It’s thick and thin, not thick and thick.” Liddy’s eyes reflected her anger. “I’m really pissed off, Maggie.”
“I can tell, and I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.” Maggie took the mug of coffee Liddy offered her and set it on the counter. “I understand why you’re angry. I wish I could have told you back then what I was going through. It was a very painful and confusing time.”
“Did you think we’d judge you? Start rumors? Tell the whole town?” Liddy hadn’t lost her edge.
“No, of course not. You’d never have done that to me.”
“Then why? Even after all this time, you never told us. We had to find out by accident from Grace. After all the things we’ve gone through together, all the times when we had to be there for each other. When Harry flipped out at Emma for siding with Chris because he didn’t want to follow in Harry’s footsteps . . . the death of our parents . . . when my daughter took her life . . . the three of us were solid. We held each other up. Why didn’t you let us do that for you?”
“I think what Liddy is saying is that when you’re very close to someone, and they’re going through something very difficult, you want to share their burden because you love them,” Emma said softly. “We love you, Maggie. We would have been there for you. We are hurt because you wouldn’t let us share in what must have been the worst thing that ever happened to you.”
“I didn’t think of it that way. I was constantly badgered by my parents, who were insisting I give the baby up and go on with my life as if nothing had happened. Brett sided with them, and I couldn’t make him or them believe I could keep the baby and still have a life. I could still go to college. He could still go to college.” Maggie’s sigh was deep and came from her heart. “I was very confused and very scared.”
“We could have shared that with you.” Emma reached out her hand, and Maggie squeezed it. “We would have taken your side.”
“I know you would have. But there was so much drama. I just wanted the talking to stop—the arguing and the cajoling and all the talk about facing reality and stop being selfish and think of the baby and what’s best for it. Him,” she corrected. “That whole summer was a blur. I was embarrassed and scared and my parents were on me about disgracing them, and Brett’s father went on these rants about how I was ruining Brett’s life and how if he had to worry about me and a baby he wouldn’t be able to focus on football and he’d never make the pros.”
“Brett’s father was an asshole.” Liddy sat next to Maggie. “Everyone in town knows that.”
“I’m surprised Brett didn’t stand up for you.” Emma sat across from the others.
“He’ll never admit having let his father bully him, but I think that may have influenced his wanting me to give the baby up.” Maggie rubbed her head. As always in times of stress, her head began to pound.
“So what did you do?” Emma asked.
Maggie explained how she and her mother had gone to Maine and stayed there until the baby was born.
“It hurts me to know you went through this. And while I respect your reasons for keeping it to yourself, I wish I could have been there for you.” Sweet, softhearted Emma was crying.
“Me too.” Liddy got up and went into the adjacent family room.
“Bring the box, Lids,” Maggie called to her.
“What box?”
“The box of tissues I know you’re looking for. It’s on the mantel,” Maggie told her.
“So what are you going to do now?” Liddy returned with the box in her hand. She took a tissue and passed the box around.
“You mean about Joe?” Maggie explained: “His name is Joe. Did Grace tell you? Brett met him and said he’s wonderful. Which, of course, he would be, just meeting for the first time.”
“Well, yeah, he’d be on his best behavior.” Liddy nodded. “He wouldn’t want to come off like an ax murderer when he meets his birth father for the first time.”
Maggie laughed. “I have the emails he sent Natalie. He sounds so nice.”
“Can we see?” Liddy asked.
“Liddy, those are personal,” Emma admonished her.
“Oh, like we have secrets now?” Maggie lifted the laptop and slid out the emails she’d stashed away. She handed them over to Liddy. “Pass them on to Emma when you’re done.”
“Well, if you’re going to have one secret, might as well make it a good one.” Liddy began to read, passing the sheets of paper to Emma as she finished each one. “Oh my God, he does sound like such a nice kid.”
“He’s not a kid,” Maggie reminded her. “He’s forty.”
“Yes, but he’s your kid.” Emma smiled as she read. “Aw, he was so nice to Natalie.” When she finished reading the last email, she wiped away a tear and asked, “So when do you think you’ll meet him?”
“As soon as we can arrange a mutually agreeable time and place.” Maggie arranged the emails in a neat stack. Maggie looked from Liddy to Emma. “You didn’t tell Grace that Brett was the father.”
“No. We didn’t tell her anything. We just let her talk.”
“If
