Finding Love (3 page)

Jenna put her hands on Addison’s shoulders and smiled. “You’re going to get through this, Addy. You are a strong woman, just like your momma. And you will find happiness. Somewhere out there is a man who is meant just for you, and he will raise your child with you just like Kyle is doing for me. You have to believe that.”

“I want to, but right now I can’t focus on a man. I have to figure out what to do about this,” she said pointing down at her ever growing midsection. “I was ready for kids, but not alone. I don’t know how I’ll ever do this.”

“You’d be surprised at the things you can do when you have to,” Jenna said. “You’re the spunkiest, funniest gal I know, and this baby is going to be lucky to have you as his or her mother.”

Addison smiled appreciatively, but inside she knew that she was keeping another secret that would likely destroy how her family thought of her yet again.

***

“I swear, there is no place on earth that has better cheese fries than Zach’s,” Addison said as she shoveled more of the delectable fries into her mouth. Eating for two was turning out to be a lot of fun in her mind.

“I know. And this milkshake is going to keep me from fitting into my new dress if I keep this up,” Jenna said with a laugh.

The morning turned out not to be so bad after all. Jenna walked straight into the warehouse and located her dress within minutes. It was a larger size, but she would have it altered closer to the wedding.

“You’re going to be such a beautiful bride, Jen,” Addison said as she took a sip of her own milkshake.

“I want to take your brother’s breath away. Then I will know I’ve done my job,” she said grinning.

“Well, from what I can tell, you pretty much take his breath away everyday,” Addison said. “And sometimes I want to tell ya’ll to get a room!”

The women laughed, so loudly that they were afraid they’d get thrown out of Zach’s. Instead, they drew the attention of Rebecca and Tessa who were walking in to eat.

“Hey, ladies!” Tessa said as they approached the table. “We didn’t know ya’ll would be here.”

“Wedding dress shopping this morning,” Jenna said.

“Well, where is it?” Rebecca asked with a large smile.

“Oh, in the car under lock and key!” Addison said, pushing out one of the extra chairs with her foot. “Have a seat.”

The four Parker women - well, three of them unofficial Parker women - sat there for an hour talking and laughing. Addison felt so comfortable around all of them, even though she had only recently met two of them.

“So, Addison, have you had any morning sickness?” Rebecca finally asked, making her the first person to point out  the elephant in the room. Okay, maybe that was a bad pun.

“Not a lot, actually. But I’ve been very tired, mentally and physically.”

“That means a girl!” Jenna exclaimed, clapping her hands and giggling.

“How does that mean a girl?”

“No nausea, tired… Those were main symptoms when I was pregnant with Kaitlyn.”

“Not very scientific, Jenna,” Addison said rolling her eyes.

“Well, she might be on to something because I was terribly sick with Leo,” Rebecca said taking a sip of her drink.

“Aren’t those old wives’ tales?” Addison asked with a laugh.

“Sometimes those old wives knew what they were talking about!” Jenna said giggling.

“Have you heard anything from Jim?” Jenna asked softly.

Hearing his name was like having a knife shoved into her gut. She wanted to wipe that part of her past clean, but she knew she never would. How could he have deceived her so well that she didn’t know she was married to a cheater?

“No. But I don’t plan to. I hear from his attorney friend, Neil. Biggest worm I’ve ever met,” Addison said.

“When will the divorce be final?”

“Probably not for at least a few more weeks. He’s fighting with everything he has no to let me have anything. I literally walked away with my clothes.”

“That’s crazy! He’s the one who cheated!” Rebecca said a little too loudly. “Sorry,” she said, looking around in embarrassment.

“I know. But for now I just need to spend time with my family and find a job so I can take care of myself. I didn’t come here to sponge off my mother and brothers.”

“They don’t mind taking care of you for awhile, Addy. They love you,” Jenna said, reaching across the table and holding Addison’s hand.

“I know they don’t mind, but I do. I’m a grown woman who made a stupid decision, and I need to buck up and take care of myself.”

“Wow, you sound just like Adele,” Tessa said with a laugh. “Must be those strong Parker female genes.”

“I suppose so,” Addison responded, smiling at the comparison to her beloved mother. “If I can only be half the woman she is…”

“You’re going to do fine, sweetie. We’re all here for you,” Jenna said. “Look, I know better than anyone how hard it is to raise a child alone.”

“Um, so do I….” Rebecca chimed in, raising her hand.

“Hello?” Tessa said laughing.

“Wow, I guess you all know,” Addison said, suddenly realizing that her table was filled with strong women who rose up during tough circumstances.

“You know, if you’re looking for a part-time job, I know where you can find one,” Rebecca said.

“Really? Where?”

“At Jolt!”

“Your coffee shop?” Addison asked.

“Yep. I am exhausted, and I really need someone to take the morning shifts. I am not a morning person, and I’m so busy getting Leo off the school.”

“Are you sure this isn’t a charity case kind of thing?” Addison asked with a sly smile.

“No! I was honestly about to put an ad in The Cove Chronicle,” Rebecca said, referring to the town’s newspaper. Run by one of the oldest residents of January Cove, Clifford Applebaum, The Cove Chronicle had been around for over fifty years. Not many people read it, but Clifford wasn’t about to give up to that old “electronic mumbo jumbo” - his description of the Internet.

“Well, if you’re serious, I would love to work at Jolt!” Addison said, excited at her first chance at making a normal life for herself. “When should I start?”

“How about tomorrow at eight?” Rebecca asked.

Addison reached across the table to shake Rebecca’s hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal!”

“Don’t you want to know the pay?” Tessa prodded. “She might be planning to work you for three pennies an hour!”

The women all laughed, and Addison took a deep breath, ready to start a whole new future.

“Mother, honestly I don’t think we need to release doves,” Kyle said, rolling his eyes up in his head as he watched his mother make the third fruitcake of the evening.

“Kyle, doves would be lovely. Think of it. You’ll be married on the beach with one hundred doves released into the spring sky…”

“We see a hundred seagulls everyday! No doves!” Kyle yelled playfully as he stole a cherry from one of the bowls on the kitchen counter.

“And we may not marry on the beach, Adele,” Jenna spoke up. “I was thinking about checking into renting the old Carver plantation.”

“Really?” Adele asked.

“Well, I just love that old place, and the grounds are spectacular in the spring,” Jenna said, grinning from ear to ear. “Plus, they have that grand ballroom in the back that old man Carver added in the fifties, remember?”

“Oh yes. That would be lovely, dear.”

“We had our prom there, didn’t we?” Kyle asked as he snatched another cherry, and Adele popped his hand with her spoon.

“Yes, Kyle. Jeez, I’m surprised you remember that,” Jenna said rolling her eyes. “Another option is marrying on the ferry. We thought it might be fun to marry there and then have our reception out on the island.”

“Maybe putting more money into the reception than the wedding would be a good idea because it’s always the party you remember most anyway,” Kyle said with a big grin. “And the honeymoon, of course.” Jenna rolled her eyes.

“Where is miss Kaitlyn tonight, by the way?” Adele asked, changing the subject off the honeymoon as quickly as possible.

“She’s sleeping over at a friend’s. It’s her first slumber party,” Jenna said. “My girl is growing up.”

“They grow up awfully fast,” Adele said with a solemn look on her face. “You’ll learn that soon, Addison,” she said as Addison walked into the kitchen.

“Learn what?”

“That kids grow up so fast. Why, one moment you’re holding them in your arms and the next minute they’re holding their own kids.” Adele sighed. “Such is the circle of life, I guess.”

Addison’s stomach churned. What would her family think of her when she told them her other news?

“Can I help with dinner?” Addison asked.

“No, honey, it’s all ready. I was just getting a few more fruitcakes going. You know how my agents and customers love them,” Adele said, and it was true. Her fruitcakes were famous in January Cove, and she loved the attention every Christmas. She put something in them that no one else did because people ate them up. Adele claimed the extra ingredient was love, but Addison was pretty sure it was rum.

“Let me put ice in the glasses then,” Addison said as she walked around the breakfast bar.

“Sweetie, why don’t you go sit down and let me get everything…”

“Mom, I’m not an invalid,” Addison said, getting a little irritated. “In fact, I start my new job in the morning.”

“New job?” Adele asked. “Why are you starting a job?”

“Because I’m a grown woman, and I need to work. Sitting around here all day isn’t my style,” Addison said, cutting her eyes at Jenna and smiling.

“Where will you be working?”

“Jolt.”

“What? Rebecca hired you?” Adele asked.

“Yes, and I’m very thankful to have something to do.”

“Addy, you really need to stay off your feet. Maybe get an office job. I can call Mrs. Higgins at the temporary agency on West Fourth…” Adele said.

“No! Mom, you can’t babysit me for five more months. Pregnant women work all the time. For goodness sakes, you’ve had five children yourself!” Addison didn’t mean to snap at her mother, but she was tired of being treated like she was fragile.

“I just want to make sure you’re safe, sweetie. That’s all,” Adele said, her feelings obviously hurt. Addison walked over to her mother and hugged her.

“I’m sorry, Mom. Pregnancy hormones got the better of me. I’m so thankful for your concern,” she whispered.

“You just let me know what you need,” Adele said as she pulled back and went back to her fruitcakes. “I just can’t wait to meet my new grand baby. I don’t know which I want more, a boy or a girl. I suppose as long as its healthy…”

“I’m considering adoption,” Addison blurted out, the weight of her secret finally becoming too much to bear.

Adele dropped her spoon and looked at Addison, tears in her eyes and her mouth hanging open. “Addison Rose, you can’t be serious!” Out of all of the reactions she had expected from her mother, this wasn’t one she had considered. Adele Parker was always the epitome of Southern grace and understanding, and this side of her was something Addison had rarely seen in her life.

“Mom…” Kyle said, rising up and grabbing her hand across the counter. Jenna’s face was also shocked, and Addison felt terrible for throwing this information out like she did. She had intended on waiting until after Christmas, but the pressure was too much for her.

“It’s okay, Kyle. I shouldn’t have said it like that, without warning. Of course, how do you warn people you’re about to say something shocking?” Addison was rambling now, so she slid down onto an empty barstool and took a deep breath.

“Addison, are you sure about this?” Kyle asked.

“No, I’m not. I said I’m considering it, Kyle. I don’t know what I want to do yet. I just don’t want anyone getting too attached to this baby because he or she might not be a member of this family in the end.” Her words got softer as she reached the end of that sentence.

“That baby is already a member of this family, Addison Rose,” Adele said through deep breaths. “That is my grand baby and your child. How can you even consider giving your baby away?”

“Stop, Mom. She has enough pressure on her!” Kyle snapped, and it was completely out of character for him. He’d never raised his voice at his mother like that before, but he’d also never seen her so judgmental about something.

Adele took a deep breath and walked slowly over to Addison. She put her hand on Addison’s arm. “I’m sorry, honey. I don’t mean to push you. I know this must be very difficult, but you’re not thinking clearly. My Addison would never consider giving her own baby to strangers.”

Addison looked at her mother and felt more alone than she ever had. “Well, maybe I’m not the Addison you once knew, mother. I’m a grown woman, and this is my decision to make,” Addison said as she stood. “I’m a little tired, so I think I’ll go lie down for awhile.”

She walked away from the kitchen and toward the foyer with Kyle calling behind her. But for once in her life, she ignored her brother and just kept walking.

***

Addison awoke with a start. Her heart was pounding and she could see slivers of moonlight peeking through her window. It was now well past dinner, she assumed, as she rolled over and looked at her alarm clock. It read 10:56 PM and her stomach growled.

What kind of mother would she be if she hadn’t fed her baby dinner? The negative thoughts about herself had been increasing lately. Jim had really done a number on her psyche since they married, and she’d allowed it so how weak did that make her?

She sat up on the side of her bed and slipped her feet into her fuzzy bunny slippers. Her mom had changed little about her room since she moved out, and those slippers had been her prized possession in high school. Her high school boyfriend, Mike Holland, had given the pink pigs to her for Valentine’s Day. Of course, her relationship with Mike lasted only a short time until he realized he was gay and liked Petey Callahan. The thought made Addison giggle to herself.

Making her way downstairs, Addison hoped there would be something left over from dinner rather than fruitcake. She loved her mother, but she’d never developed a taste for her famous fruitcakes which made her an immediate outcast in her family as far as she was concerned.

Maybe she was being too hard on herself and her family. They loved her, and she knew that. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones or something, but she just wanted to yell at everyone about anything. Actually, she wanted to yell at Jim for creating this whole mess in the first place, but what good would that do? She was already getting creamed in divorce court, and now she’d be named a whore too.

Ugh.

“Addison?” she heard her mother’s voice say softly. Addison jumped in fright as she turned to see her mother sitting in the darkened kitchen. She was eating a slice of fruitcake and drinking a glass of milk. Her mother never ate at night, and was always in bed by ten so this scene made no sense.

“Mom, you scared the living daylights out of me!” Addison said, holding her hand to her chest.

“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to. I’ve been doing a lot of things I don’t mean to do lately,” she said sighing. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

Addison adored her mother. If anything, she wanted to be just like her. Strong. Independent. Loyal. “I’m the one who should be saying sorry. I sprung something very big on you like I was ordering a pizza. I should have prepared you and not just blurted it out like that.”

“But I should have been more understanding. It’s just that I was in shock, and I reacted badly. Here, sit down,” Adele said, pushing out the bar stool next to her. Addison took a seat, but she was secretly starving and wishing she’d made it to the refrigerator before she was invited to sit down. “Fruitcake?” Adele asked, offering her a bite.

“No. Thanks,” Addison said as she sat down, unable to shatter her mother’s dreams that everyone liked her fruitcake.

“I talked to Kyle and Jenna a lot after you went upstairs, and they made me understand that this is your decision. I still look at you as my little girl, Addy, and it’s taking everything in me not to find Jim and give him a swift kick in the butt,” she said, her lips pursed. Addison smiled and reached over to hold her mother’s hand. “Butt” was about the worst word she’d ever heard come out of her mother’s mouth.

“I can’t say I understand because I’m not a mother, but I respect that. I’m glad you’re my mom,” she said softly. Adele leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Still, you need to take care of yourself and that baby, so I want you to see the doctor this week. If you don’t mind, I’ll set an appointment for you,” she said.

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

“Good. Well, I’m going to hit the sack. I just couldn’t sleep,” Adele said as she stood up and yawned.

“Maybe your secret ingredient will help you sleep,” Addison said softly. Her mother chuckled.

“Maybe.”

As Adele made her way to the foyer, Addison called out to her.

“Mom?”

“Yes?” she said, turning around.

“I really appreciate your support, and I haven’t made a final decision yet. Anything could happen, right?”

“That’s very true,” Adele said with a wink before she disappeared in the dark hallway leading to her bedroom.

***

“I still don’t get why we’re taking the ferry to the island this morning. It’s freaking cold out here!” Aaron complained to his older brother, Jackson. The brothers and their girlfriends were all standing in the parking lot of the ferry dock, the blustery December wind whipping up around them.

“Because the ladies want to go, and we do what the ladies want to do,” Jackson said, laughing as he elbowed his brother in the side.

Both Rebecca and Tessa had insisted on coming out to the island to do some “scouting” for the reception that they planned to hold there after Kyle and Jenna got married in the spring.

The island had become “their” place, and the women thought having the wedding reception there would be perfect. Kyle and Jenna had finally decided to have their wedding right there on the ferry.