A Nantucket Wedding(46)

    When the food delivery arrived, Scott said, “Smells wonderful.”

So that was promising. Scott was in a good mood and eating would make him feel more relaxed. She kept his wineglass topped up.

As they ate, they idly discussed the latest news. When they were finished, she took a deep breath, said a little prayer, and approached the children topic with her husband.

“Did you enjoy Nantucket?” she asked.

Scott shrugged. “Lying on the beach is not my idea of fun. You know that. But it was great to see your mother again, and Patrick seems likes a good guy. I don’t know how he can stand being married to Poppy. She’s such a ballbuster.”

“What? No! She’s just hormonal.” She started to add: Because she’s pregnant. She bit her tongue.

“And Patrick’s naturally laid-back. He’s all about sports. He can name the stats on any of the Patriots or Red Sox for the past five years. I like him.”

Encouraged by this, Jane said, “I know. And Daphne and Hunter are darling, aren’t they?”

“Darling? God, no. They’re little monsters.”

Jane blinked. “Oh, I wouldn’t say—”

“Well, I would. I saw Hunter aim that whale at Luke. That’s bratty and mean. And neither one of his parents disciplined him.”

Jane tried to explain. “It’s hard when so many family members are around. They probably didn’t want to embarrass Hunter by chastising him in front of everyone. Plus, Luke likes to tussle with Hunter. It makes him feel like a big boy.”

“Well, I hope it put the idea of children for us out of your head. I don’t have the patience for that kind of thing. And neither do you.”

“Oh, but, Scott, didn’t you love watching them when they were sweet and not fighting? And that was most of the time. Daphne and Alice were so cute playing together down on the beach, making sand houses and people out of rocks.”

    Scott stared at Jane. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t know who you are.”

In defeat, Jane said, “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”



* * *



—

Noah had said he didn’t have time to drive down to Hyannis to pick up Felicity and the kids at the ferry. Alison had shown Felicity how she and her children could get home without the expense of flying to Boston—and it was quite an expense. Alice and Luke were up for an adventure, so they took the fast ferry to Hyannis, the bus to Boston, the T to Belmont, and a taxi to their house. Luke was goggle-eyed every moment of the trip, loving all the different vehicles and their sounds and vibrations. Alice read a book.

Felicity relaxed, replaying the weekend. The walk on the beach with Jane had been the high point of this trip. It had been a long time since she’d felt so close to her sister. Really, had she ever been so close to Jane? Growing up, they had never confided in each other. Jane had been almost unapproachable, busy with her own friends and her ambitions. Felicity had been thrilled to be drum majorette and queen of the senior prom, and yet all the time she’d been aware that Jane had been almost amused by such glories. And Felicity had been guilty, too, consumed with being the prettiest, the most popular, the little queen bee of her own school hive. Jane’s academic achievements were boring.

When Felicity married Noah and the children came along, Jane had been super generous, sending engraved sterling silver toothbrush cups to celebrate their births and wonderful, expensive birthday and Christmas gifts. Felicity had dutifully sent pictures of the kids, assuming they’d be of little interest to Jane, but now Felicity began to think that those photographs and the informal photos she emailed Jane might have inspired Jane to want children of her own. This weekend, Jane, perfect elegant Jane, seemed to enjoy Felicity’s imperfect (but adorable) children. In turn, Felicity had provided a good sounding board for Jane and her desire to have babies of her own.

    They were closer than they had ever been before. Could it be that in growing up they had cast off some of their own jealousies and small-mindedness? It was as if the years had worn away their defenses, insecurities, and differences, and now they were softer, open to the possibilities of a true friendship. Felicity smiled to herself. Sometimes the workings of the world astonished her.



* * *



—

The taxi stopped in front of their house. She paid the driver, who lifted out the luggage, and followed her children as they ran to the house. A car she didn’t recognize, a red convertible, was parked across the street, and Felicity idly wondered who in the world was visiting her neighbor, an older, and rather eccentric, woman.

She opened her door. The children flew inside, screaming, “Daddy Daddy Daddy!” They always greeted their father with amazed adulation, as if he’d just beamed down from Mars.

Felicity set her duffel on the hall floor and stepped into her living room.

Noah was on the sofa. Ingrid was seated next to him.

Felicity’s heart thumped so hard her entire body jerked.

In the five seconds it took her children to throw themselves at their father, Felicity noted first, that Noah and Ingrid were not touching. They weren’t quite close enough to touch. Second, piles of paper towered on the coffee table, and they each had a Sharpie in hand. Third, Noah was wearing his reading glasses, which indicated that he was working.