The Book of CarolSue. Lynne Hugo

here and you want to go to his place to . . . nap?”

      She paused there in the kitchen, one hand on the kettle, which was just starting to whistle. She turned off the stove and thought about it while she made the tea, then made it “special,” which trust me, about that time we both needed it to be. Really special. Even added a slice of lemon and the honey, steps that can be skipped in an emergency, but I guess she figured we had enough time. I stayed quiet to let her think through my obviously brilliant solution.

      “That might work,” she conceded. “We had to be really quiet because you were here. It was a little awkward for us.”

      Awkward for you? That was quiet? Bless your heart, I wanted to say, but managed to swallow the words. It required several sips of special tea to wash them down.

      Gracie woke and I tended her diaper and showed her the new rattles and book. She waved her arms and legs and I really think she smiled at me. I hoped it was her first smile. What a dear, darling baby. I fed and burped her and she slept again in my arms, content and peaceful. I missed so much, not having one of my own live. Louisa really didn’t know how lucky she was.

      Gus called that he wouldn’t be over that night—he said some police work needed his attention. Louisa and I breathed a sigh of relief, while she told him that was too bad, and that she hoped it would go well and she’d talk with him tomorrow, while giving me a thumbs-up sign. She wouldn’t even need my brilliant idea about going to his place, not that night.

      I was so busy with the baby all afternoon and into the evening that I didn’t do any of what I’d planned, namely call my real estate agent and have him take my house off the market. I also wanted to look into a moving company to come get what I’d brought to Louisa’s and get it back to Atlanta for me. I’d hire a decorator to get me some new furniture for the house and place it. I’d learned from Charlie that one can do that, and it’s really not difficult. All the appliances were still there. I could hire the help I’d need. It was a matter of making phone calls. Louisa would think I’d lost my mind, but I’d thought that of her on multiple occasions and we’d survived. I just hadn’t realized that there wasn’t anything for me here; this was Louisa’s life, not mine. I missed Charlie desperately, too, and I couldn’t find anything of him here.