Page 32 of Last Fall

8

Zoe

A Dozen Different DeadlyThings

An hourlater the dinner party was winding down. Carrie and Wes had already left and June and Roman had escaped next door. I knew what they were doing so I made sure to hang back here for as long as Icould.

“The girls are sound asleep,” I happily reported to theirmother.

Eve collapsed onto a barstool. “Thanks for checking. They always rope me into answering questions when I checkonthem.”

“They’re the only kids at these dinner parties. They get excited and don’t want to be the first ones toleave.”

She nodded and I noted the subtle changes to my former boss. She was tired. “I get it. Cassandra and I were the only kids for a long time. I remember sneaking out of bed to hide in the hallway and listen to my parents with their friends. I never thought my kids would be doing the same thingoneday.”

“Whyisthat?”

Her eyes moved past me to the living room where Jake and Greg were debating about some cigar. “Well for one, I couldn’t imagine getting married and having kids after he left. My brain just...wouldn’t go there with someone else.” She shrugged. “And then even after we were married I thought for sure we’d just be one of many having kids. Turns out we aren’t friends with a lot of people interested in having children.” She waved at the different groups that had broken up since dinnerended.

Greg and Marie’s daughter was all grown up and they were definitely not having anymore. “Yeah, Carrie and Wes won’t be having kids—at least not soon.” I hadn’t asked if family plans involved human children or if they were sticking to the felinevariety.

“And I think June and Roman will one day, but they’re not ready. So that leaves me with having to become better friends with more parents if I want my kids to have friends at theseevents.”

“You found Erik,” I pointed out, partly because I wanted Eve’sopinion.

Her eyes slowly slid back to me with a pretty generous amount of curiosity in them. “He’s like my little brother. I love that guy. He was like a little puppy dog who needed a family to take him home and love him, so we did. He kept turning up at every event I requested player involvement. He lit up every time I brought the girls around. Poor guy was lonely so of course I looped him in.” Then a little smile curved the corners of her lips. “Kind of like a nanny I usedtohave.”

“Yes, well, we are two wonderfulchildlessexceptions to the rule. Some of the families you had at the party last weekendwerenice.”

She let me dodge that bullet. “Yes. We’ve been having Ben and Lani and their kids over more, but their son screams like a banshee, which is fine at a kid’s party, but not so great at somethinglikethis.”

Yeah, Calvin had a scream that curdled my blood. And neither of their kids ever sat still. Ever. I didn’t see them becoming part of the dinner party circle. “What about Parker andAshlyn?”

Eve shook her head violently. “Nope. Parker and Jake donotget along. They’re fine at big parties, but notsmallones.”

Okay...that was news to me. “How’s Jenniefeeling?”

Eve’s best friend was having a difficult pregnancy and had been on bed rest for the last two months. “Ready to get that baby out. Maybe I just miss them.” She shrugged. “They’ve been in baby production mode for the last couple of years. It’s hard when you have itty bittys at home. I know that. And I know they will get out of the house again...but in the meantime, I’ve lost my only mom-friend.”

And I think, underneath everything, we’d just found the real problem. Eve and I used to share a glass of wine and talk after the girls were in bed, so I knew she loved her job, but frequently felt overwhelmed by motherhood. It was Jennie that kept her grounded. A friend in the same boat, going through the same trials, worrying about the same things. For a little while I’d done a decent job of filling in the gaps since I was right there with her and thegirls.

“I know I’m busy these days Eve, but I’m still here. I can slip over for wineanytime.”

She slid her glass my way. “There’swinenow.”

I knew where this was headed and I secretly think, deep down inside, I wanted her to ask. I trusted Eve more than I trusted anyone. I tookasip.

She cocked an eyebrow. “How’s the life of my famous writer friend?” Brilliant as always, she started withsomethingeasy.

Well,easier.

“I fly out to meet with the screenwriter again next week. I’m excited about that. And I’m about halfway through the nextMayhembook.”

“The assistantworkingout?”

“Lynn is great.” I really liked her even if I was having fits about each thing I handed her. “I’m learning to let go and she’s being very patientwithme.”

“Good. I know it’s hard but it’ll be for the best. I couldn’t do my job if I tried to manage every single thing myself. At some point you’ve got to trust that you’ve put the right people around you and they know what they’redoing.”