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Flora Brandes hooted to see her gal pals enter the diner. The entire Brandes clan, minus Kevin, lounged in the corner booth. Flora shooed her three eldest to another table. Ever retrieved a wooden high chair for Scout and pulled it up to the kids’ table.
Ivy secured Scout in her chair and debated which table to sit at. She was equally comfortable at each. But less likely to get messy at the adult booth. She greeted each kid and gave Eloise a hug before joining Lydia and Flora.
“Well, I don’t know who it is,” Flora said. “Ask them.”
Ivy snickered. “There’s a mystery and Lydia’s got to get to the bottom of it.”
“Pooh sticks!” Lydia pouted. “I’m just curious. Bill Barnaby is always so focused and punctual. It’s not like him to completely shrug off a meeting. He’s not acting like himself, that’s all. Nothing more.”
Kevin, working in the kitchen, sighted the new arrivals. He flagged down a waiter and sent fresh coffee to his wife’s booth. Lydia waved at him but he was too busy scooping up poached eggs to reply.
Flora changed the subject. “Ivy, tell me more about your interest in medical things.”
“It’s not a new interest. Professor Barnaby asked me to make a list of everything I was intrigued by or was ever interested in doing. Phlebotomy wasn’t on my list. Not really. But I do like lab sciences and forensics. And the opportunity to get a closer look at a mobile bank is too good to pass on. I’m more interested in psychology and counseling. But that will take a great deal of time and schooling. Time I don’t have at present.”
Flora patted Enoch. The baby boy curled closer to his mother’s neck and murmured in his sleep. “Ivy, you’re 17. You have loads of time.”
Ivy’s skin grew clammy. She hated it when older people said that to her. Didn’t they get it? Sure, typically someone her age had decades yet to live. But girls her age didn’t normally have little ones of their own. Ivy might have many years to live but she wasn’t living for herself anymore. She refused to waste Scout’s life trying to find the meaning of her own.
Suddenly Ivy felt horribly alone, though surrounded by several people who loved her. She missed her Mema. She missed her mother. She missed Emily, her mixed-up friend. She longed for somebody, anybody, who understood her to show up and tell her everything was going to be alright. Instead, she had two thirty-somethings commenting on Ivy’s youth and potential.
They cared, she knew, but they didn’t get it. They didn’t feel the weight and pressure on her shoulders the same way a family member might. Ivy’s throat thickened. She drank a sip of her coffee to push down tears that fought to run.
Lydia watched Ivy’s expressions fluctuate. She puzzled over the teen but kept her comments to herself.
“Anyway,” Ivy said when she regained control of her voice. “Checking out the blood bank is a good start.”
“Sure it is.” Flora agreed. “I wonder what they’ll have you do.”
Just then the diner doorbell chimed and in walked Bill Barnaby and Ines Justice. Bill beamed. His eyes glistened and twinkled from happy tears. He led Ines over to the occupied corner booth with his arm around her waist.
“Ivy,” he chuckled. “I’m very sorry to do this to you. But extraordinary events have unfolded. I’m wondering if we can postpone our meeting until tomorrow. You see, I...we... I have news.” Bill looked to Ines for support. She offered it with a lingering smile of pride. “I want to share it with you all. But not now. Tonight. Please accept my invitation. Ines and I are hosting a party at 3 Alarm. Tamas agreed to close down early and let us have a private party. It starts at 8 if the weather holds.” Bill stopped to take a huge inhale. In his excitement, he’d forgotten to breathe.
Ines tittered. “Bring your families. We’ll have coffee, tea, and dessert for everyone. Will we see you there?”
The entire table nodded. They were beyond surprised. Not a single mother wanted to miss out on hearing Bill Barnaby’s news. They watched with saucer-eyed expressions as Ines and Bill walked back to the library.
A man at a booth for two slapped down his newspaper and exited behind the happy pair. His rush surprised Lydia. Was it her imagination or was he purposely keeping his distance while trailing Ines and Bill? Nah. She was only being nosy, just like Ivy had said.
“Oh,” Flora said. “Kat’s going to hate that she missed this.” Ivy and Lydia grunted in agreement.