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The next morning, I dropped Grace off at preschool and stopped at a nearby bakery to pick up half a dozen chocolate croissants. As I stared into the box, I smiled, remembering how Gretchen could never resist the flaky, chocolate decadent treats. In fact, the day I met her she had been six months pregnant, and in the middle of devouring one.
Libby and Darcy were born two months apart. It was due to our daughters that Gretchen and I had bonded and formed an instant friendship. We’d met in the doctor’s office one day and struck up a conversation as we waited, instantly discovering we had quite a bit in common besides expecting a baby. After I’d left the office, I’d stopped at the Starbucks next door for coffee—decaf at the time—and spotted Gretchen indulging in a croissant. She’d invited me to join her, and we’d stayed so long chatting that Greg had phoned, worried about what might have happened to me.
Gretchen and I met for lunch the following week, and she invited me to her baby shower the next month. It had been a wonderful friendship until Annette spoiled everything. The following year, I’d invited Gretchen and Todd to Darcy’s first birthday party, not knowing at the time that Annette was having an affair with him. The truth had reared its ugly head when Annette arrived at the party.
Gretchen had suspected her husband’s infidelity and later accused me of hiding the truth on purpose. A couple of weeks after the party, Todd deserted his wife and two small children to leave town with Annette. Gretchen was forced to sell her house and moved herself and the kids into an apartment complex nearby.
A few months after Annette had left town, Gretchen had sent me a birthday card and apologized for what she’d said, but things were never the same between us. When Darcy and Libby attended the same elementary school and became immediate friends, we put our differences aside, not wanting our daughters to be hurt in the process. Libby had slept over at my house numerous times, and Darcy had spent many nights at the Fine home as well.
Gretchen and I made small talk whenever we saw each other at school functions, but never rekindled our close friendship. I suspected it must have been difficult for her to trust anyone after Todd’s betrayal. Darcy once mentioned that she rarely dated and didn’t have many friends.
As I rang the bell to Apartment 3A, I wondered if I should have called first, but maybe Gretchen would have made up some excuse not to see me.
The door, held in place by a chain, opened a crack. Gretchen peered out, and her eyes widened when she recognized me. “Cindy. What are you doing here?”
“Hi, Gretchen. I was wondering if we could talk for a few minutes.”
She pursed her lips together. “Um, the place is a mess, and I’m getting ready to go to work.”
I held up the pastry box. “I came to see you, not your house. And I brought your favorite. Unless you don’t like chocolate croissants anymore.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Wrong. I’m still a chocoholic.” She turned her head and glanced back at the room, then sighed. “All right. Hang on a minute.”
The door shut, and Gretchen removed the chain. A second later, she opened the door again and gestured for me to come inside. “Please excuse the mess.”
“It’s fine, really.” I glanced around the small combination living and dining room area. There was a blanket and pillow on the sofa, with an orange cat sleeping contentedly on it. A pile of books and loose papers decorated the coffee table with empty water bottles next to it. Crumpled old newspapers and a copy of People magazine lay on the floor. An empty box of cookies rested on a nearby recliner.
Gretchen moved the cookie box and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Please sit down.” She went over to an ironing board standing in one corner and removed a brown apron from it. When she shook it out, Denny’s logo was revealed.
“Libby’s working there full-time,” Gretchen explained. “I’ve been trying to get her to go back to college, but she refuses. I never should have let her quit school after only one year. It was stupid of me.”
She sat down on the couch next to the cat and placed the bakery box on the coffee table. The cat opened his eyes, blinked at her, and then closed them again. Gretchen absently ran a hand over his head while he purred loudly. I took a moment to study her. She’d always been attractive, with long, curly auburn hair, and hazel eyes like mine. While I was in my late forties, Gretchen was five years younger and had both of her children a year apart.
Fine lines were prevalent around Gretchen’s mouth and eyes, and the bubbly personality I remembered seemed to have faded away. Her life had not been an easy one since Todd left. Darcy once confided to me that Gretchen was struggling to put food on the table when the library had to lay her off for a while. I took to sending home food with Libby, claiming I had made too much for dinner, but it was never acknowledged by Gretchen. The one time that I had tried to send money, Libby refused to accept it, claiming her mother would be furious.
“College isn’t for everyone,” I said. “Libby’s a smart young woman. She’ll find her way.”
“Libby already knows what she wants to do with her life,” Gretchen said proudly. “She wants to become a police officer. A college degree isn’t required, but she does want to save some more money before she starts training.”
“Good for her. That’s an amazing ambition.”
Gretchen removed the top of the bakery box and licked her lips. “Oh, these look amazing. Would you like some coffee to go with them?”
“No thanks. I’ve already had two cups this morning. I need to cut back.” Heck, who was I kidding? Starbucks was my personal drug of choice.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Gretchen rose and went through an open door to a small kitchen. She returned with plates and napkins and then removed a croissant from the box and took a large bite. She closed her eyes as she chewed. “Oh, these are so good. I can’t remember the last time I had one. Come on, don’t make me eat alone.”
I reached into the box and helped myself to one. They were still warm, and the butter and chocolate instantly ignited my taste buds. “Yum. Baked fresh this morning.”
“What brings you by?” Gretchen asked. “I haven’t seen you since Libby’s high school graduation. Oh, wait. Let me guess. It must have to do with your sister-in-law.”
I set the croissant down on a plate. “Did you know that Annette was back in town?”
She snorted. “Of course. Todd told me.”
“He’s been to see you?” I asked.
Gretchen licked the chocolate off her fingers. “Oh yeah. He showed up on my doorstep last week, whining and asking if he could stay with me. Can you believe it? The man dumps me twenty years ago, leaves his kids, and then acts like we can get back together anytime that he feels like it. I mean, what the heck has he been smoking all these years?”
Her tone was bitter, but I didn’t blame her. “Darcy told me that Annette was cheating on Todd, so he threw her out,” I said.
“Yeah, isn’t that rich?” Gretchen reached for another croissant. “Pure karma. If you ask me, Todd deserves it. Annette was just using him all these years. I’m sure this wasn’t the first time she cheated on him, but of course, he’ll never admit it. By the way, Darcy texted Libby last night and said the homewrecker has taken up residence in your home. I’m sorry for you, Cindy. I wouldn’t want that woman around my kids.”
Darcy must have been so upset over dinner that she immediately decided to tell Libby the truth. “Annette is the reason that I’m here.” I hesitated, not sure how to phrase my next comment. “She—she thinks that you’re trying to kill her.”
Gretchen almost choked on her croissant. “Seriously? Jeez, if I wanted her dead, I would have done it years ago.”
Her tone was light, but I didn’t find the comment amusing. “Gretchen, I realize that we haven’t been friends in a long time, but I still care about you and your kids.”
Her mouth grew taut. “Likewise. I’m not blaming you for what happened. When Todd first took off with Annette, I’ll admit that I was angry. But I was angry at everyone. I needed someone to lash out at, so I used you for that purpose. Sorry. I wish I could turn back the clock and do things differently.”
“I understand.” It saddened me because I’d missed her friendship over the years. “At least the girls have stayed close. How is Scott doing?”
Gretchen smiled. “Fine, thanks. He likes school. He left here on Sunday with some of his buddies for a camping trip. The only good thing that ever came out of my marriage to Todd were the kids. They’re going places in life. Not like me.”
“Don’t say things like that,” I said. “You’re a big reason why they turned out that way.”
“Like I said, if I wanted Annette dead, she’d have been gone years ago.” Gretchen stared down at her hands. “To be honest with you, I did think about it once. But that was during a really low point in my life. Why does Annette think I’m trying to kill her? Because Todd wants me back?”
A shiver ran down my spine, but I tried to ignore it. “Annette moved into an apartment last week. Her landlord was killed in what the police think is a drive by shooting. She insists the bullet was meant for her.”
“Have you talked to Todd yet?” Gretchen wanted to know. “He could be involved.”
“Are you serious?”
Gretchen scratched the cat under the chin while he looked up at her adoringly. “Todd told me he still loved me, and that Annette had ruined his life. Then he said how he wished she were dead.”
“Who’s dead?”
Startled, Gretchen and I looked up to see Libby standing at the top of a narrow staircase. I’d seen pictures, and Libby was the exact replica of her mother at that age. She had the same auburn hair, except hers was worn in soft waves around her shoulders. Her eyes were the color of milk chocolate, like her father’s. Libby was tall and had her mother’s slim and graceful figure. I watched as she descended the stairs, wearing ripped jeans and a pink T-shirt. She carried a large black purse in one hand and her phone in the other.
“Your apron is all ready,” Gretchen told her.
“Thanks, Mom. Hi, Mrs. York. What are you doing here? I mean, you never—” She stopped in mid-sentence, her face turning as red as a tomato.
I smiled. “Hi Libby. How’s work going?”
She wiggled her hand back and forth. “Okay. I like serving, but I’d rather do it in a more upscale restaurant. You know, where people actually leave good tips.”
“Do you know anyone in the restaurant business who’s hiring?” Gretchen asked.
“Not offhand,” I admitted.
“Who were you guys talking about?” Libby asked. “Wait, let me guess. Dad?”
Gretchen hesitated. “Honey, please don’t start.”
“I don’t know why you won’t give him another chance,” Libby said. “He told you he was sorry. That Annette is nothing but a manipulator.” She put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry, Mrs. York.”
“It’s okay, Libby.” I rose from my seat. “I need to get going.”
“Cindy, please don’t leave. It’s fine.” Gretchen put her empty plate on the coffee table. “Libby, I know that you love your father, but you have to face the fact that we’re never getting back together.”
Libby’s nostrils flared. “Yeah, you’ve already told me. But I still think you could be nicer to him. It’s not fair to treat him like that!”
“Not fair?” Gretchen repeated in an incredulous tone. “Your father’s the one who left me. He was constantly late with his child support. He’s the reason there wasn’t enough food in the house at times and—” She stopped suddenly and shook her head. “Cindy, I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize.” I glanced at my watch. “Oh, look at the time. I need to get to the office.”
Libby started to say something, then thought better of it. She picked up her car keys from the coffee table, gave her mother a scathing look, and then went out the front door, slamming it behind her.
Gretchen looked at me apologetically. “I don’t get it. After everything Todd’s done and all the events he’s missed in her life like birthday parties, dance recitals, and even her high school graduation, she still loves him. So does Scott.”
“He’s their father,” I said simply. “That will never go away.”
“I suppose.” Gretchen sighed. “Well, I hope that I’ve cleared up things and convinced you that I’m not a killer.”
“Gretchen, I never thought you were.”
She walked with me to the door. “So, you realize that Annette would say anything to make me look like the bad guy?”
“Annette is not a very trustworthy individual,” I admitted. “But she’s Greg’s sister, and he’ll always love her, no matter what.”
“Sort of how Libby loves her dad, I guess.” Gretchen’s shoulders slumped forward. “I feel like a terrible mother for saying this, but sometimes I wished that Libby and Scott hated his guts. It would make life much simpler.”
“Where’s Todd staying?” I asked. “Is he back in town for good?”
Gretchen put her palms in the air. “Who knows. He says yes, but his word doesn’t mean much. He has a friend named Jonathan who’s letting him live in the apartment over his garage. I’m sure it won’t be long until he overstays his welcome, and then Todd will be back here, begging for me to give him another chance.”
I didn’t doubt it.
“Why don’t you go pay Todd a visit?” Gretchen suggested. “Then you could decide for yourself if he tried to kill Annette. God knows, he complained about her enough.”
“Do you honestly think Todd could have tried to kill her?”
Gretchen was silent for a moment. “There was a time when I would have said no. Todd was a good husband until Annette sunk her claws into him. Then, everything changed.” Her eyes bore into mine. “I don’t know him anymore. So, anything goes.”