Sarah turned off the overhead lights as the last student rushed through the door. She paused for a moment, enjoying the natural light filling her empty classroom. She was grateful the sunshine was forecasted to last through the weekend. She had been worried they might be stuck inside for the party. Robert would not have handled that well! Nice weather definitely made everything easier. She would center most of the activities outside. Robert would probably retreat to his study, but at least he would be there. That was all that mattered.
She hummed cheerfully to herself as she packed up her things to leave. She’d carefully planned all the details; she was sure it would be a wonderful party. Lizzy was beside herself with excitement. Sarah had barely been able to get her out the door to school this morning. Thinking about this made her smile and helped her push away the nagging unease that had been with her all week—especially since her conversation with Kate.
Kate was right. She needed to talk to Robert about the baby. But she couldn’t think of any good way to tell him. The longer she waited the worse it would be, but she was afraid of his reaction. Her stomach clenched and she struggled to reassure herself. He might be upset at first, but he’d come around to see it as a good thing. Just to be safe, she’d wait until after the party.
Maggie bounced into the room. “Hey, preggo!”
Sarah jumped. “Jeez, Mag. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry. I’m just excited for the weekend!”
Sarah smiled. “I know. Friday afternoons always rev you up!”
“So true. Better than even a triple espresso! And I’m ready to party! How about you?”
“Ready as I can be. You’re getting the balloons, right?”
“I’m on it. Thirty helium balloons to the rescue.”
“Great. And quit calling me preggo.” Sarah said, her eyebrows drawing together. “Remember, Robert and Lizzy don’t know yet.”
“No worries. Your secret’s safe with me. Do you need some help out?”
“Sure.” Sarah handed her a box of student essays.
Maggie took the box. “You’ll have loads of time for these this weekend.”
Sarah smiled. “I know. Ever the optimist, right? But they need to get done. So, I imagine it will be a late Sunday night!”
“Every day I count my blessings I’m not an English teacher. Thank God for Scantron! Test scores in the blink of an eye.”
“Oh, but you don’t know what you are missing.”
“Oh, I think I do! Those once-a-semester term papers are more than enough reading for me!” Maggie said. She cocked her head. “By the way, when are you going to tell Robert?”
“I’m not sure,” Sarah said, fighting back a wave of irritation. Not Maggie too. She’d had enough of this with Kate. Why couldn’t they both just leave her alone? “I’ve been so busy with the party that I haven’t been able to think about it much.”
Maggie frowned and looked at Sarah as she continued to gather up her things to leave. Knowing how her friend obsessed about things, she found it very hard to believe that she wouldn’t have been thinking about this, regardless of how busy she’d been. That just sounded like a lame excuse. Something definitely felt off. Should she say something? She wanted to be supportive, but she didn’t want to upset Sarah. And it was often a fine line with her. She had learned to read her fairly well, but at times she still got it wrong. She decided to risk it this time.
“Are you worried?” she asked cautiously.
“Nah,” Sarah said. “I think I overreacted before. He’ll be fine with it—excited, even.” She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. “Let’s get out of here. I have a list a mile long of things I need to get done!”
Maggie opened her mouth to press Sarah more as she followed her out of the room—and then stopped herself. Robert was Sarah’s husband. If she thought he’d be fine with the news, worrying about it was silly. Besides, as down on Robert as Kate was, as far as Maggie could tell, he was basically a dream come true. Still, she made a mental note to watch him more closely at the party.
She fell into stride with Sarah. “So, what’s on this long list of yours? I thought you had everything handled.”
“Just the last-minute stuff. I’m going to get some groceries before I pick up Lizzy and the cake at Kate’s, and then I’m heading home to stuff Easter eggs, put up decorations, and prep food.”
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
“No. I’ll be fine and Robert will be home tonight, so he can help. You getting the balloons is a huge help, believe me. That will make my day so much easier tomorrow.”
“Happy to do it,” Maggie said as they reached Sarah’s car.
Sarah popped the trunk and Maggie put her box of student papers inside.
“See you tomorrow,” Sarah said.
Maggie gave her a hug good-bye and started walking backwards toward her car. “Yes, you will. I’ll be there! With bells on!”
“I sure hope not,” Sarah said.
Maggie’s smile drooped a little. What did that mean?
“On the bell part,” Sarah clarified.
Maggie perked back up. “Well, now that you mention it . . .” She turned toward her car and waved over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow!”
Oh my God, Sarah. What an idiot! When will you learn to keep your mouth shut? Why do you give her ideas like that? And with Robert and his mother coming.
Sarah felt panicked. She regretted telling Maggie about the pregnancy. She was her best friend and she adored her, but she was a bit of a loose cannon. Sarah couldn’t ever be sure what she might say or do, which was why she had always kept her away from Robert. Should she call her to make sure she didn’t do anything weird? What could she say? Maggie hated snobs with a passion. If Sarah said anything, it might fuel the fire even more. She’d have to take her chances and just hope Maggie behaved.
Sarah’s inner dialogue continued and didn’t stop until she pulled into Kate’s driveway. Lizzy and Emma were drawing with chalk on the sidewalk out front, and they jumped up when they saw Sarah’s car.
Lizzy ran to the car. “Mommy, Mommy!” She said breathlessly. “Come see my cake! Come see my bunny cake!”
Lizzy’s excitement was contagious, and Sarah chatted happily with her as they drove home from Kate’s, the bunny cake safely wedged between grocery bags in the trunk so it wouldn’t slide around.
“Is Daddy home yet?” Lizzy asked when they turned onto their street.
Sarah smiled. Thinking about Robert coming home and seeing their daughter’s excitement to see him made her happy. Everything was right with the world. She was going to enjoy the moment and not worry about anything else.
“Not yet,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Lizzy. “But he should be home in about an hour. I think he is going to love your cake!”
“Me too!”
Sarah pushed the garage door opener as she pulled into the driveway, but nothing happened. She tried again with no luck and made a mental note to change the battery. She popped the trunk, then reached back and handed Lizzy her keys before exiting the car.
“You go open the door for me and pick up the mail and I will bring in the cake.”
“Okay.” Lizzy quickly unbuckled herself, jumped down out of the car, and ran for the front door.
Sarah grabbed the bags of groceries and carried them in through the front door. Lizzy was on her knees, gathering the mail up off the hardwood foyer floor. Sarah left the groceries on the kitchen counter and hurried back to the car. She carefully lifted the cake out of the trunk and used her elbow to close the lid. Be careful, she coached herself. No klutziness allowed today. Go slow. The last thing you need is to mess this up. She carefully carried the cake through the door that Lizzy was holding open for her.
“Thank you, ma’am,” she said to Lizzy.
“You’re welcome, ma’am,” Lizzy said, following her cue.
Sarah carefully walked into the kitchen and gently lowered the cake onto the counter. Lizzy followed her in, mail in hand.
“Wasn’t it nice of Kate to make this for you?”
Lizzy nodded. “Here, Mommy,” she said, holding up a mass of envelopes.
“Thanks, sweetie. Now hop in the bathtub and when you’re done we’ll fill up these eggs.” Sarah pulled three bags of multicolored plastic Easter eggs out of a bag and laid them on the kitchen table.
“Okay!” Lizzy skipped out of the room.
Sarah counted her blessings that Lizzy was in a good mood today. She couldn’t deal with one of her meltdowns with so much still to do. And it would make things a lot easier with Robert. She needed his help to put up the decorations outside, a task he hated. If Lizzy was being whiny or bratty on top of it, she knew Robert would retreat to the den or his office and leave her to deal with it all on her own. And he would make Lizzy’s mood her fault. As he’d pointed out many times before, Lizzy’s behavior was a reflection of her failings as a mother. Never mind that she has an absent father, Sarah thought, and a brief flicker of hurt and anger rose up. She quickly pushed it away. Robert wasn’t absent today. He would be here, he would help, and they would have fun as a family. She reminded herself of their weekend together three weeks ago. It would be like that again.
She quickly flipped through the mail and dropped it on the counter, her mind going a mile a minute. Filling the eggs would occupy Lizzy long enough so she could start to prep some of the food. She’d work on the deviled eggs first, then the crudité and dips. She’d left her grocery list on the kitchen counter that morning; she hoped she hadn’t forgotten something important. It was pretty lame to forget your grocery list. Not thinking. As usual.
She got an oversized bowl out of the cupboard, filled it with the plastic eggs, and placed it in the center of the kitchen table. She rummaged in one of the grocery bags and came up with several bags of jelly beans and foiled chocolate Easter eggs, which she carefully arranged on either side of the bowl. Finally, she added a pile of Easter stickers and stepped back to look at the display. Perfect! She couldn’t wait to see the expression on Lizzy’s face. She’d love it!
She emptied the vegetables out of the last grocery bag and started to open the refrigerator when she noticed the red blinking message light on the phone. She took the phone out of its cradle and hit the voicemail button. The automated voice announced that there were two new messages. Robert’s voice was the first to come through.
“Hey Sarah. It’s me. I can’t make it back this weekend. Tell Lizzy I’m sorry to miss her party. I’ll call tomorrow night so she can tell me all about it. I’ll give my mom and sister a call too. I’m sure they can come early and help if you need it. Big hugs to both of you.”
“No . . .” Sarah said aloud before the next message started.
“Hi Sarah. It’s Carol. I just got a call from Robert. I don’t know how you put up with him sometimes. He’s so much like Dad, a complete workaholic! Anyway, I talked to Mom and we’d both be happy to come early to help. Just give me a call and let me know what time.”
Sarah let her hand and the phone drop onto the counter and stood stunned for a moment. This couldn’t be happening. He needed to be here. He couldn’t do this to Lizzy. She took a deep breath, fighting back the tears, then grabbed the phone and dialed.
Robert picked up on the second ring. “Hello.”
“How can you do this?” Sarah said. “Lizzy’s gonna be so upset. You can’t do this. You need to be here. Don’t you ever think about her—or me, for that matter?”
“Sarah, calm down . . .”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Sarah said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “This is terrible. I need you here. You’ve known about this party for weeks.”
“Sarah, I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped. We’re behind on this installation and under the gun from the client. I have to be here.”
“Can’t someone else do it?”
“You know better than that. It’s my project. I can’t just leave it to someone else.”
“But what about Lizzy? What about your mother?” Sarah asked, her voice steadying slightly.
“I already talked to my mother. And Lizzy will be fine. She’ll have all her friends there. She won’t even know I’m missing.”
“That’s not true—”
“Sarah, stop. We’ll celebrate next weekend. It’ll be like a second birthday. She’ll love it. But right now, I’m late for an important dinner, so I need to go.”
Sarah felt like she was floating. This couldn’t be happening. She needed to do something. Make him understand. There had to be a way.
“Robert, please! You have to be here. You know how much it means to Lizzy. Can’t you get a flight in the morning and be here for a couple hours and then go back?”
“Sarah, that’s nuts. I’d lose a whole day’s work and I can’t afford to do that. You’re being unreasonable and dramatic. This is not a big deal. You need to take a few breaths and get a grip.”
Sarah felt something snap inside. The good Robert was gone and the jerk was back. “You are so fucking dismissive. Seriously. Do you really believe your own bullshit?”
“For Christ’s sake, Sarah. I don’t have time for this. I’ll call tomorrow. Good-bye.” He hung up before Sarah could respond.
Sarah stood at the counter, her body trembling. She held the receiver in front of her face and yelled, “Fuck you, asshole!” She couldn’t believe he was doing this. He knew how important this was to her and Lizzy. He knew how much planning and work she’d put into it. And to say his mother would help? What a joke that was. She would just point out all the things Sarah had done wrong and make her feel worse than she already did.
The thought of Cynthia’s inevitable criticism melted Sarah’s anger into tears. She dropped the phone and slumped over the counter, her chest heaving. She couldn’t handle Cynthia without Robert. And she needed his help with the outdoor decorations. She couldn’t do this alone; she’d never get everything done in time. Everything would be ruined. She felt so tired and overwhelmed. It felt hard to breathe.
Lizzy’s voice calling from down the hall startled her. She had momentarily forgotten all about her.
“Mommy, I can’t find my pajamas.”
Sarah stood up, wiped the tears from her face, and tried to take a deep breath. Her shoulders felt weak and she couldn’t inhale fully. She felt numb.
“They’re still in the dryer,” she called out weakly.
“What?” Lizzy shouted back.
Sarah tried again to inhale and called back more loudly, “Just a minute. I’ll get them.”
She started for the garage—and then she remembered Maggie’s offer to help. Since Robert wouldn’t be here, it would be fine to have her come over. She picked up the phone and dialed her number.
The phone rang several times with no answer. Sarah was about to hang up when Maggie picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hey Mag, it’s me. You sound out of breath.”
“Yeah. I ran for the phone. I was just getting out of the shower and I thought it might be Ryan. We have a date tonight.”
“Oh,” Sarah said, surprised. “You didn’t tell me.”
“I know,” Maggie said. “I never really had a chance. You’ve been so busy with the party and the whole pregnancy thing.”
“I’m sorry . . .” You’re such a horrible friend. Not even thinking to ask Maggie about Ryan. No wonder you’re alone. That’s what you get for being so self-centered.
“No worries. I knew we’d catch up once things settled down a bit for you. Besides, you know I want to keep this thing low key for now. Until I know if it really is a thing.”
“I don’t know,” Sarah said. “It sure seems like a thing to me.”
“Maybe. But that’s not what you called to talk about. What’s up?”
Sarah racked her brain for something plausible to say. She couldn’t ask Maggie for help now. She had to think of some other reason for calling.
An idea popped into her head. “About the balloons. Could you also see if they have a nice ‘Happy Birthday’ Mylar? Something big and colorful?”
“Sure thing. Sounds like a great idea. I’ll actually call now so they can have it ready when I pick up the others. I’m gonna have fun getting all this into my car!”
“Great,” Sarah said, trying to be upbeat. “Thanks so much. And have a great time tonight. I can’t wait to hear more.”
“Oh, you will. Every gory detail! See ya tomorrow.”
“See ya.”
After hanging up the phone, Sarah sighed. She felt drained. Maybe she could try Kate. But she had helped so much already. Besides, she probably had plans. You shouldn’t bother her. Just get a grip. Quit being such a loser and pull it together.
The phone rang, disrupting her thoughts. Her heart leapt. Maybe it was Robert. Maybe he’d changed his mind. She picked up the phone to look at the caller ID. It was Kate.
“Hi, Kate. I was just thinking about you.”
“How funny! Great minds and all that.”
“Yeah. Definitely. What’s up?”
“I forgot to give you the candles for the cake. I found some cool tall thin pastel ones.”
“They sound perfect. I meant to look for something different like that, but then forgot.” As usual.
“Well, it’s taken care of,” Kate said. “So, was there something else?”
“Not really.” Don’t bother her. They probably have things they want to do tonight. You’re not helpless. You can handle this.
“Somehow you aren’t convincing me. Is everything okay?”
Sarah felt her throat tighten and the tears welled up in her eyes again. “I’m just freaking out a little,” she said in a rush. “Robert can’t come home and I have food to prep and eggs to fill and decorations to put up outside and—”
“Sarah.” Kate’s voice was measured and soothing. “Slow down. Why don’t I come over?”
“No, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered.”
“But you’ve done so much already. I’m okay, really. I’ll get it all done. And I’m sure you-all have plans for tonight.”
“Hang on a second.”
Sarah waited. She hated the idea of imposing, but she had to admit that she would be very relieved if Kate came to help.
Kate came back to the phone. “The boys are camping with their Boy Scout troop, so we were just about to order pizza and watch Totoro with Emma for the one hundredth time. As much as she loves that damn movie, I know seeing Lizzy will be much more exciting. And you’ve saved Will and me! We’ll pick up pizzas and be over in about a half hour.”
“It’s really not—”
“Sarah, we’re coming. End of conversation. It’ll be fun. See you in a few.”
Kate hung up the phone and turned to Will. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Anything to avoid Totoro again,” Will said. He tilted up his chin and held the back of his hand up to his forehead. “I was feeling a sudden headache coming on. The kind that can only be cured by crawling into bed with my laptop.”
“Yeah, like I’d really let you get away with that!”
Will chuckled. “Don’t I know it! So . . . what’s going on with Sarah?”
“More than I think we know,” Kate said.
Will smiled. “What’s this? A bit of dramatic flair from my normally calm, cool, and collected wife? Say more.”
Kate frowned. “I’m not sure. Just my gut talking to me again.”
“Well, my experience with your gut is that it’s usually pretty accurate.”
“Yeah,” Kate said. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” She generally trusted her instincts and knew something was off with Sarah—something that had to do with Robert. She just wasn’t sure what that was.
“My curiosity is piqued,” Will said. “Is it about the pregnancy? Or something else?”
Kate nodded. “I think that’s part of it. She seems really scared to tell him about it. I mean, more than scared. Like, terrified.”
Will frowned. “Maybe something’s going on with her—like she’s hormonal and overreacting or something. I mean, it doesn’t make sense for her to be terrified to tell him about a pregnancy.”
“I know. That was my first reaction. But now I think she might be underreacting—or hiding something.” Kate bit her lower lip. “Something has been bugging me for a while. She completely defers to him all the time. She’ll want to do something, but when he says no she acquiesces and then acts like it was her idea or something.”
“Interesting,” Will said thoughtfully. He rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. “Sounds like I need to learn some of his technique.”
“Very funny,” Kate said, whacking him lightly on the chest. “I think you learned a long time ago not to tell me I couldn’t do something.”
“Yes, I did.” Will wrapped his arms around Kate and pulled her toward him. “And I’ve been a much happier man ever since!”
“And I’ve been happier too.” Kate smiled and kissed him, but she wasn’t done talking about Sarah and Robert. “I know their age difference might be part of it, but I get a creepy Stepford Wives feeling at times.”
“That’s a bit extreme. I mean, I know he’s kind of pompous, but I just write that off to his family. He has a different worldview than us common folk!”
“I know. I’ve thought about that too. And I know my feelings aren’t rational. But something just feels really off. And then there’s the whole piece about him working in LA all the time and hardly ever being home. What’s that about?”
“Sounds like you might have some thoughts on that,” Will said, smiling. “Out with it, woman!”
“Okay,” Kate said. “Yes. I admit it. I wonder about another woman. Is that such a stretch?”
Will shook his head. “No. Not at all. Or he could just be a workaholic or something. I mean, look at his old man. You don’t get where he got without living and breathing the company.”
“Maybe. But I know Sarah has suggested several times that they move to LA and he always makes excuses. He won’t even let them come down and visit. He says it will distract him from his work.”
“Okay. Maybe a bit more suspicious. So, he’s got a mistress. Or he’s a workaholic. Or both.”
“You can add ‘controlling jerk’ to that list.”
“Boy, you really don’t like the guy, do you?”
“I don’t know. I’ve tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but my gut is screaming on this one. And now to call last minute to say he’s staying in LA this weekend? Sarah’s pretty freaked out. He was supposed to be home to help her get everything ready for tomorrow.”
Will shrugged. “It’s a six-year-old’s birthday party, not a wedding. What’s the big deal?”
“I know,” Kate said. “I don’t disagree. But that’s what I’m saying. Her reactions seem really off sometimes and it makes me wonder what is really going on inside that house.”
“So, you think there’s more to it than an absent husband and a lonely wife?”
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem very sure of herself. She’s guarded. She doesn’t talk about much and seems to put on a happy face, if you know what I mean. I think she needs support, but I’m never sure how to help.”
“Well, right now we can bring pizza and hang party decorations!”
Kate smiled. “Always the voice of reason.”
“At your service,” Will said, taking an exaggerated bow. “And now for the really important question: What kind of pizza should I order?”
Sarah stood quietly at the counter, phone still in hand, relief flooding her body. She wouldn’t be alone tonight. Will and Kate would be with her to help. And Emma would distract Lizzy and soften the blow of Robert not coming home. Everything would be okay.
“Mommy! I’m cold!” Lizzy called out again. “Where are my pajamas?”
“Change of plans,” Sarah called back as she laid the phone down and headed toward Lizzy’s room. “Emma and Kate and Will are coming over with pizza to help us get ready for the party.” She reached the door of Lizzy’s room in time to see the towel-covered ball on the floor bounce up and transform into a standing, naked child.
Lizzy squealed with glee. “Really?”
“Yep! So go ahead and get dressed, and then you can come help me in the kitchen.”
Sarah knew she should tell Lizzy that Robert wasn’t coming home, but she quickly talked herself out of it. No need to upset her when she was so happy. Besides, she’d be occupied playing with Emma and probably wouldn’t even notice. At least for a while. Sarah could avoid telling her until later. Dealing with one of Lizzy’s meltdowns tonight, in front of Kate and Will, would be humiliating. Waiting was definitely the best plan. She’d wait until after they were gone.
“When will they be here?” Lizzy asked. “What kind of pizza are they bringing? Can we have ice cream for dessert? Can Emma help me fill the eggs?”
“Whoa, girl,” Sarah said, putting up both hands. “Hold your horses! First things first. You need to get dressed and I need to finish putting away the groceries. I’m sure they’ll be here before you know it!”
“But Emma can help fill the eggs, right?”
“Of course. But first you need to get some clothes on!”
“Okay.” Lizzy went to her dresser and pulled out some underwear.
Sarah smiled and let out a sigh as she walked back to the kitchen. Lizzy was excited and happy. Not a word about Robert. Maybe this would all be okay. Maybe she could get through the night and not have to deal with it.
Her thoughts continued to swirl as she put away the groceries. She’d have to tell Lizzy at some point. But when? She didn’t want her to be so upset that she wouldn’t sleep. As tired as Sarah was, she knew she couldn’t deal with that tonight. But she also didn’t want to tell her right before the party. That would be a disaster. The party needed to go perfectly. There just didn’t seem to be any good time.
Lizzy skipped in just as Sarah was folding the grocery bags and putting them in the bag holder in the pantry.
“Wow,” she said, seeing Lizzy fully dressed. “That was fast.”
“Are they here yet?” Lizzy asked.
“Yes,” Sarah said, matching Lizzy’s excitement. “They’re hiding in the garage.”
Lizzy gave her mother a puzzled look and started toward the garage.
“I’m teasing! No, they aren’t here yet. I just got off the phone with Kate a few minutes ago. And they need to pick up the pizza first.”
Lizzy scowled and Sarah caught her breath. Stupid idiot! Are you trying to trigger her? You better find some way to distract her.
“I’m sure they’ll be here any minute. Why don’t you go pick out a movie for you and Emma to watch while you have your pizza?”
Lizzy’s face brightened. “Okay.” She skipped out of the room.
Sarah relaxed slightly, knowing she’d dodged a bullet. She needed to stay a step ahead of Lizzy if she wanted to avoid the Robert conversation. Once Emma was there, it shouldn’t be a problem. In the meantime, though, she needed to keep Lizzy busy.
She pulled a pan out of the cupboard, filled it with water and put it on the stovetop to boil. She’d get the eggs cooking and then start cutting the vegetables for the crudité.
She was slicing celery when Lizzy came bopping back into the room with a video in her hand.
“We can watch Totoro! It’s Emma’s favorite.”
“Great choice,” Sarah said, smiling. Kate and Will would get a good laugh from that! “Why don’t we open the bags of candy and put them in bowls so they’ll be ready for you and Emma?” Sarah grabbed two bowls from the cupboard. “You can put the jelly beans in one bowl and the chocolate eggs in the other.” She got the scissors from the drawer as Lizzy crawled up into one of the chairs at the table.
Sarah had just cut open the first bag when the doorbell rang.
“They’re here!” Lizzy jumped down from the table and ran for the door. Sarah said a silent prayer. Thank goodness. Saved by the bell. Literally! She smiled and quickly emptied the candy into the two bowls, put the scissors back in the drawer, and threw the candy bags into the trash. She turned to follow Lizzy to the front door, only to be nearly knocked down by her and Emma running back into the kitchen.
“Come see,” Lizzy was saying breathlessly. “We get to fill the eggs with candy and stickers for our Easter egg hunt tomorrow.”
“Slow down,” Sarah said good-naturedly as she turned to greet Will and Kate. Will was carrying two large pizza boxes.
“So, where should I put the grub?” he asked.
“Right here on the counter would be great,” Sarah said, clearing a spot.
Sarah was ready to drop, but the evening had gone fantastically, and for that she was grateful. She and Kate had prepped all the food and Will had hung the decorations outside. He’d even fixed a loose rail on the deck. Emma and Lizzy had had a great time filling the eggs after they’d finished the movie. Lizzy hadn’t mentioned Robert.
The only stress in the evening had been when Kate asked her how she was feeling about Robert not coming back for the party. Sarah knew she couldn’t talk about it. She was afraid she’d start crying or get upset. She didn’t want to risk it. Besides, they were having a good time, talking and laughing. Why dampen the mood? So she’d just put Kate off and changed the subject.
She loved hanging out with Kate and Will. They were everything she thought a couple should be. And how parents should be. She wished she and Robert were more like them. Even though they’d all been working, they’d also had fun and Sarah had actually relaxed and enjoyed herself. But now, as they prepared to leave, she felt some of her anxiety and sadness creep back in. She was afraid that Lizzy would ask about Robert, and she didn’t know what to do if she did. She was so exhausted. The thought of handling one of Lizzy’s meltdowns right now sent her into a panic.
“So, I’ll come a little early tomorrow to help with the last-minute stuff,” Kate was saying. “What time is Maggie coming with the balloons?”
“She’s picking them up at noon, so she’ll probably be here about twelve thirty.”
“Great,” Kate said. “I’ll plan on the same. That will give us an hour and a half to tie up the balloons and hide eggs and put out the food. Should be plenty of time. I think you’re in good shape.”
“Yeah, I think it’s all good. Thanks to you guys. I couldn’t have done it without you. I can’t thank you enough.”
“It was our pleasure,” Will said as he turned and smiled at Kate. “Much better than what we had planned!”
“That’s for sure,” Kate said, smiling back at him. “And the girls had fun. I think they will both sleep like babies tonight.”
“I hope so,” said Sarah. “I could use a good night’s sleep. As long as she doesn’t realize Robert’s not here, I should be in good shape.” Shit. Why did you say that?
Kate glanced at Will. “She doesn’t know—”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Sarah said. “I still have Emma’s jacket from the other day. Let me grab it for you.” She quickly rushed out of the room.
Kate leaned in toward Will as soon as Sarah left the room. “See what I mean?” she whispered. “It’s stuff like that that seems off to me.”
“A little, I guess. Seems like she doesn’t want to tell Lizzy that he isn’t coming. I can understand, if she thinks Lizzy will be upset and it will keep her up all night.”
“So you just wouldn’t tell her?”
Will shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d tell Emma, but she’s not Lizzy. Sarah knows better than we do how she will react.”
“Maybe you’re right. I just feel bad for Lizzy. I’d hate to have her blindsided by it tomorrow.”
Will frowned and shook his head as Sarah came back carrying Emma’s jacket.
Kate knew it was a warning, but she couldn’t contain herself. “So, you didn’t tell Lizzy that Robert wasn’t coming?”
Sarah looked coolly at Kate as she handed her Emma’s jacket. “There’s a chance he’ll be able to fly up in the morning. I don’t want to upset her unnecessarily.”
“Well we should round up our young’un,” Will interjected playfully, before Kate could say anything more. “It’s past her bedtime.”
“Yeah. For Lizzy, too. Hopefully we can tear them apart for a few hours!” Sarah said. “I’ll go let them know.”