Page 74 of Shame the Devil

Vanessa said, “I’m supposed to be flying to London tomorrow,” and sighed. “I just can’t wrap my head around this, you know?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I know. I’m supposed to be in L.A. on Monday myself. I don’t think either of us is going to make it. Maybe it’ll be easier if we do it together, though. I have a feeling it’s going to be pretty bad. A lot of … issues.”

“I’ll let you know when I can get a flight,” she said. “It’ll be tomorrow.”

“Let me know,” he said, “and I’ll pick it up. Or if you want me to charter something.”

She laughed, the sound so unexpected, he jumped. “Harlan. I’m a flight attendant. The flight’s the least of my problems. And I’m not exactly …” An exhalation of breath. “Burning to get out there, you know?”

“Yeah,” he said, his throat trying to close, the dread trying to take him over, to suck him down. “I do.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Thanks for rushing out there, buddy.”

Buddy.How long had it been since anybody had called him that?

His mom had called him that.

Alison next. More, “Oh, my God,” on her part; more, “I don’t know,” on his. Finally, she said, “Uh … we’ll drive down this afternoon, I guess. Steve’s at the hardware store, and Colleen’s at a birthday party. Oh, my God. Mom. I can’t …”

“Yeah,” he said. He couldn’t either. “I’ll reserve a room for you, then.”

“It’d be good if it has a pool, so Steve can keep the kids occupied. And make sure there’s a restaurant, will you? I can’t believe it. I can’t.”

“It does have a pool. Holiday Inn. I’ll pick up the tab.”

“I hope so,” she said. “Or we couldn’t come.”

He wanted to say,Really? What would you have done, then? Stayed home?But he didn’t.

Jennifer had said, before she’d started doing the booking, when she was setting out a little notebook, a pen, and her phone on the fold-down table like a workman arranging his tools, “You need a house, I think, not a hotel. So you can talk and relax a little, and you don’t have to eat meals out. So Annabelle has a space where she feels safe.”

“Oh,” he’d said, and tried to focus. “It’d have to be a pretty big house.”

She’d hesitated, and he’d said, “Go on and say it. Whatever it is.”

“It doesn’t sound like you’re all that close with your other sisters. Just from what I’ve picked up. What do you think about getting them hotel rooms? Otherwise, you’re going to be in a sort of family reunion situation at the most stressful possible time. With kids, too, maybe. I think you and Annabelle will need more quiet than that, and probably your sisters as well. You can have them over for meals if you want. The house could still be a gathering place. Just not so … enforced.”

“You’re right. That sounds good. Do that. Though I don’t know about meals.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, right?” she’d said cheerfully. “To handle the day-to-day stuff that gets hard to cope with when you’re overwhelmed. I’m not a gourmet cook, but I’m an expert at putting family dinner on the table. I’ve been doing it for almost twenty years now.” And he’d thought again how lucky he was that she was here.

He also wondered how it was that finding out your one-night stand was pregnant, not to mention getting DNA-tested to see if you were the father, could feel like the most normal part of your day. Jennifer had been absolutely matter-of-fact about it when they’d gone into the clinic. To which she’d driven, because, she’d said, “I have to return this car to the airport anyway.” Shehadn’tsaid, “And you’re not fit to drive,” even though it was probably true. He kept thinking he was normal, and then realizing he’d blanked out.

He said, now, “Who knows about the pregnancy?”

She jumped like the question was a bolt from the blue, which he guessed it was. He’d kind of blurted that out. “My grandpa. Not Dyma, not yet. I didn’t want her to worry.”

“About college,” he guessed.

“About any of it. This is her chance. This is her time.”

He thought,When is ityourchance?But he thought he knew. Her chance had been once Dyma went to college. Before she’d realized she’d be pregnant then.

She said, “I need to tell you something. Before we get the results back. I don’t know if now’s a good time, though. I mean, obviously it’s not a good time. It’s a terrible time. But I don’t know when will be a better time.”

“Go ahead.” He tried to smile. “I could use some distraction.”

“It’s a confession,” she said, and he thought,What?She’d stopped taking her pills on purpose, or something?