Eliza Starts a Rumor(48)
“It’s kind of an absurd thing to play games over, Alison. Don’t you think?”
“I wasn’t playing games! I didn’t want to deal with you.” She took the framed picture of Zach out of his hands and placed it back on the mantel. She didn’t even want him holding the photograph. “I still don’t.”
“Well, I’m afraid that’s not just up to you.”
As he said it, he realized that his approach might be off. He was so used to being adversarial with Alison that he didn’t know any other way. Even their sex life had the tone of sparring partners rather than lovers—pleasuring each other was more about who was in control than actual pleasure.
“Of course it’s up to me. I’m the parent of record.”
Seeing the photo of the baby, his baby, had him imagining things way more consequential than a bid for Gracie Mansion. He recognized that his line of questioning was going poorly and redirected. “OK, withdrawn. I’ve had a change of heart, and for the sake of our son, I want to discuss how I can be a part of his life.”
His saying “our son” threw her. She was not giving in so easily.
“I will agree to discuss this another time, but not unannounced at eleven on a Thursday night.”
“I’m on trial, and there was more traffic than expected,” he said, adding in a kinder tone, “I’m sorry.”
She took a little pity on him. “Well, you came all this way. I imagine you want to come up and see the baby in person?”
A look of panic washed over his face, surprising her. Marc was known for his poker face in court. She was shocked that her offer elicited such an obvious nervous reaction. He answered, counter to his expression, “I would like that. Thanks.”
As he followed her up the stairs, she wondered if he hadn’t purposefully come so late at night to avoid meeting the baby. But why? she thought. What would be the point?
As they stood at his crib, she turned on the night-light so that Marc could get a good look at him.
“He’s so small,” he said.
“Actually, his pediatrician said he’s in the ninetieth percentile in weight and height.”
She examined Marc’s face for another telling reaction. Good stats of any kind were just the thing that would usually get a rise out of him. He didn’t disappoint as he smiled from ear to ear.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to wake him,” she said. There was no way she was dealing with putting him to sleep again after this roller coaster of a night.
“Oh, no, please don’t. I figured he would be sleeping.”
It was all so confusing. Who comes to meet their baby when he’s sleeping? She almost asked but thought it best to figure out what she wanted before discussing anything further with him. Her gut told her that there was more to this visit than he was letting on.
CHAPTER 28
Alison & Olivia
The Hudson Valley Community Library was the oldest building in town, dating back to 1803. While its churchlike stone facade now contrasted greatly with its updated modern interior, the words inscribed over the front door still rang true: “Medicine for the Soul.”
Circle Time at the library had long been the go-to class for the mommy-and-me set. It was well attended by a wide variety of neighborhood moms, and sometimes dads, with infants to entertain. Alison and Olivia had been excited for their first baby class, but today neither of them was really into it. They both needed a bit more “medicine” than was being offered at the library to soothe their worried souls.
Alison arrived first and secured them a spot in the proverbial circle, her mind still reeling from the events of the previous night. One glance at Olivia and she forgot her own troubles. Her friend looked like a shell of herself. The spark of light in her eyes, which had been one of the first things that Alison noticed when she had jogged into the real estate office, was completely extinguished—by tears, no doubt.
Olivia had spent the last two days running the gamut of emotions and had settled on anger. Spencer’s rogue phone was burning a hole in her pocket like the smoking gun that it was. She had yet to bring it up or give it up. His obvious frustration about its absence was her only source of satisfaction.
It was almost comical when they placed their babies on the colorful parachute in front of them, both determined to power through “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” without contradiction. While the stamp your feet part of the song offered some relief, the big finale, “The Wheels on the Bus,” couldn’t come soon enough. They both softened a bit during bubble time. Wayward bubbles landed on their babies’ noses and eyelashes, prompting scrunched-up expressions of delight that neither of them had witnessed before. But the joy was short-lived. It may have been the first time in Olivia’s life that she wasn’t in seventh heaven within the walls of a library. They agreed that it wasn’t the day to stay for the new-mom mingle and skipped out to Alison’s house to strategize.
“You go first,” Alison suggested, recognizing that Olivia’s issues surpassed her own. Olivia pulled out the phone and placed it on Alison’s coffee table. Alison picked it up to inspect it.
“I can’t unlock it. I’ve tried nine passcodes. One more and it’ll be frozen.”
Alison placed it down, ceremonially. “We can’t have that. Should I ask Andie?”