Families

  Families

  Book Three from the series Forever Friends

  Novel by

  Karleen Staible

  Copyright © 2018 Karleen Staible

  www.kssnovels.com

  www.facebook.com/KSSNovels

  kssnovels@gmail.com

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1724225450

  ISBN-10: 1724225456

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank my friends and family who have encouraged me to pursue a writing career. Especially my mother and sister, who faithfully read the first draft to the end, even though it needed some work. And a big thanks to my two friends Jeanne and Claire. They both pushed me, back in 2010, to start writing, encouraged me to finish my first book, and then took the time to read it, critique it, and congratulate me for my efforts.

  Then I found Margaret Diehl. She not only made corrections, but mentored me to open my mind to make the book much stronger and easier to read.

  Of course, I couldn’t have accomplished my mission without the understanding of my husband and his tolerance when I go into “project mode.” He lovingly supports all that I do.

  Chapter 1—Babies

  “Debbie, make this stop,” Lisa cried. “No more labor! No more pain. You should have—why didn’t you tell me this was so hard, you should have told me! Aaah!”

  Debbie brushed back the fine red strands of wispy hair matted to Lisa’s forehead. “Leesy, just a couple more pushes, and your baby son will be here.”

  “No. I can’t do this, I can’t.”

  “Yes you can. You’re doing a wonderful job. I promise it will be worth the pain.” It made Debbie uncomfortable to see Lisa in so much agony. She wanted to get in the bed and hold her—somehow ease the crushing contractions. But she couldn’t. Lisa belonged to Lenny now, not her.

  Lisa squeezed Debbie’s hand and called out again. Debbie knew it was unbearable for Lisa, but Lisa would forget the stabbing pain once she held her baby in her arms. It was Debbie’s job to help her through labor. Although Debbie was not a hospital nurse any longer and had not participated in childbirth since her nurse’s training many years ago, she knew enough to get Lisa through this.

  “Come on, dovey, you’re doing great. Just breathe.” Lenny had wanted a family for so long, and now he was about to be a father. He was so full of excitement, even though Lisa was digging her nails deep into his forearm. But that didn’t matter; he was sure it was nothing like the pain she was experiencing.

  “Okay, Lisa, push,” Dr. Linda Nelson said. “I see the head. You’re almost there.”

  “This is what you’ve been waiting for.” Debbie squeezed Lisa’s hand and helped her sit up for the push. “Little Timmy is about to enter this world.”

  “Lenny, if you want to see your baby born, come here,” Linda said.

  The other nurse in the room went to Lisa, and Debbie sat to catch the baby. Lenny put his hand on Lisa’s leg and stepped closer to watch his son’s arrival.

  “Aaahh…” Lisa cried.

  The baby quickly slid into Debbie’s waiting hands.

  “Oh, Leesy, he’s a big one.” Debbie silently gasped. It took all she had to keep her choking emotions in check—she wanted to cry. She wasn’t sure if it was happiness for Lisa or sadness that the baby just born wasn’t hers and Lisa’s. She and Lisa had once talked about having a family together. And here she was with Lisa’s husband, Lenny, delivering his son. Maybe the reaction was just happiness for her best friend; happy she was a mother, and that she had a loving husband. All she knew was that the baby was amazing. His little body was covered in afterbirth, his skin purplish, but he was beautiful, the most beautiful baby Debbie had ever seen.

  “Let’s get him to the table,” the attending nurse said, noticing Debbie’s expression. “I can take him.”

  “No, no, I’ve got it.” Debbie took Timmy to the table and syringed his mouth and nose until he started to cry. She brushed his face gently with her hand, then picked him up and laid him on Lisa’s chest. “Lee… see,” Debbie’s voice cracked. She swallowed. “He’s absolutely the cutest baby in this world.”

  “Oh… Lenny, look, he looks like you,” Lisa said, cuddling the little boy.

  Debbie sniffed and stepped back so the adoring parents could enjoy their newborn.

  Robert walked into the room. “I hear we have an addition to the Jones family.”

  “Dr. Young, come look, he’s perfect.” Lenny pulled a cigar out of his pocket and gave it to Robert.

  “Congratulations, you two. He’s very handsome.” Robert gently touched Lisa’s arm and then shook Lenny’s hand. “Where’s Gini?” he asked.

  “She’s with Maggie,” Debbie answered. “I figured this was too much for her to witness. Maggie was going to take her to the bakery and then have tea and treats in Maggie’s office.”

  “I’ll go get her,” Robert said. “I know she’s anxious to see the baby. That’s all she talked about this morning before I left for my meeting. I’m not sure how she knew Timmy would be born today, but, well, you know Gini.”

  A half hour later, Gini stood next to Lisa’s bed. “Bay… be.” She smiled big, her eyes wide open.

  “Isn’t he cute?” Debbie asked, moving her hand slowly down Gini’s hair.

  “Bay… be, gill.” Gini put her hand down to her tummy, then looked up at Debbie. Gini’s eyelids slowly closed, but the smile remained.

  “No, baby, it’s a boy, remember? Timothy Leonard Jones. Lisa has a son.”

  “Be… uff, bay… be, gill.” Her voice rose at the end of the sentence.

  Robert stepped up next to the two women. He reached down and wrapped his arm around Gini and kissed her. Gini would understand once she saw the baby undressed. He had to admit he was excited for Lisa. Seeing the little boy lying in Lenny’s arms brought an emotion to Robert he’d never felt.

  In Florida, Ric was lying in Val’s mansion guest house bed thinking about his poor, pitiful existence. He hated feeling that way—he had never pitied himself before. But what did he have to show for his life? He was about to reach that peaceful age of thirty—at least he hoped the next decade would be better than his miserable twenties. Those were years of two failed loves, the loss of four children, and a career change. Okay, the career change had been good—he could feel good about that.

  Kat walked out of the bathroom naked—her brown skin glistening. She pulled the covers back and crawled back in bed next to him.

  His phone vibrated on the night table. He briefly looked at the caller ID—Catherine. He’d call her later.

  Franco quietly and carefully stood up. He looked out over the beautiful view of Peru from his balcony. His daughter moved in his arms and made a small squeak. “Shh, shh.” He rocked her back and forth, rubbing her cheek with his finger until the small infant fell back to sleep. Finally, he had a child he could call his own. He’d thought the day would never come.

  Chapter 2—Micky

  It had been almost three months since Robert and Gini were married and two months since Lisa’s son’s birth. Saturdays were usually a free day for Debbie unless Robert got called to the hospital for a special case.

  Debbie stood in front of the mirror after showering, applying moisturizer on her face. She moved closer to the reflection and marveled at her skin. It looked younger than it used to—fresh. She would turn forty in less than a month. Debbie had never thought much about age until lately. Could she really be that old? Where had the years gone? She smiled at herself. Forty is not old, she thought. She had a lot of life ahead of her.

  She pulled back from the mirror and ran a comb through her hair, again admiring the sheen. Lisa had insisted Debbie use her hair products when they lived together—gee, that seemed so long ago. It had be
en nearly two years. After a few washings, she saw a big difference. When she was young, her dad told her she had awful dishwater-colored hair. Dishwater? she thought. What color is dishwater? But now it was a pretty honey brown with lots of body and a nice shine. Debbie had let it grow longer, per her stylist’s suggestion, and wore it pulled back behind her ears with a curl wrapping to the front. It was an easy, natural style.

  She guessed she was paying more attention to her looks since her surprise meeting with Micky on the cruise. What were the odds that they would both be on the same ship? Debbie remembered how shocked she was when she saw Micky sitting at a table in one of the buffet restaurants. It was the third day out at sea. Amazing they hadn’t seen one another before then.

  Micky was onboard with five friends. They all came from different parts of the US but took a trip together once a year. Debbie was immediately invited to join the group. She was happy to do so, not only because it was great to see Micky but also because she had found herself quite bored being alone.

  The partying, dancing, and long talks reminiscing about their college days had rekindled Debbie’s strong feelings for Micky. If she remembered right, Micky was the one who had slowly drifted out of their relationship. Debbie tried as hard as she could to keep the long-distance affair going, but Micky just stopped calling.

  Debbie sat on the bed after pulling up her slacks. And now Micky was making frequent trips to Boston for nurse training on special equipment. She’d told Debbie she’d tried to find her, but Mass General had sent Micky to New Haven Med Center. From there the path was not clear. “Somewhere in Boston,” she was told. She promised Debbie the next time she was in Massachusetts, she’d get in touch with her. But there had been no call until the day before. Micky would be in town on Tuesday. She told Debbie she was eager to meet Gini, since Debbie had told her so much about Gini and their life together.

  Debbie looked forward to the visit but was also a bit nervous. She knew Micky was a true lesbian, unlike Lisa. What if Micky wanted to be together again? What about Gini if that happened? Debbie put her hand to her mouth and stared across the room. Then she shook her head. No sense worrying about or anticipating an outcome. She’d just have to wait and see.

  She went to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. A few minutes later, Robert walked out of the master bedroom. He was wearing drawstring pants and a pullover shirt. His hair was uncombed, and his eyes still looked half asleep. “I smelled coffee,” he said and went to the couch.

  Debbie chuckled under her breath. They were like an old married couple, so casual and relaxed. She’d never have guessed she’d be comfortable with a man in her house with all her awful memories of her dad and brothers—so cocky and rude. Here she was with a very dear friend of a decade or more living under the same roof. And the amazing thing—it wasn’t at all weird for her, and she guessed not for him either.

  She took a cup of coffee to him and sat in the chair. He blinked his eyes hard and then rubbed the sleepy away. “You look nice today,” he said.

  “Thanks. Lisa is coming for the day, and we’re going shopping. Lenny told her to have a mom’s day out; he wanted some one-on-one time with the baby.”

  “What a great guy. Timmy is awfully cute. I envy Lenny a bit being a father.”

  “I know. Lisa’s got one of the good ones. He’s crazy about both his wife and son. I thought you didn’t care about having a family.”

  “I guess I’ve never really thought about having one, and with Gini, well, there’s no way I want to even try. I’m happy with my life with her.” He looked at Debbie and smiled. “Really happy.”

  “I know.” Debbie got up and patted him on the arm. She was surprised when she saw Gini slowly walking to the breakfast bar. Gini had a robe over her gown, but a sleeve, the right one, was twisted up inside, and her arm was caught up and bent.

  “Baby, come here.” Debbie pulled the sleeve out and untangled Gini’s arm. “You’re doing so well dressing yourself.”

  “Dee… bee, lah… uff.” Gini leaned into Debbie and hugged her.

  “Boy, you two are lively this morning,” Debbie said. “What did you do all night?”

  “In… ter… chorus.”

  “Ohhh…” Debbie stood straight up and opened her eyes wide. She was not expecting that answer—intercourse—a new word for Gini.

  Robert walked up to them. “Be careful what you ask.” He smiled at Debbie and raised his eyebrows.

  Gini went from hugging Debbie to hugging Robert. Debbie blushed.

  When Lisa arrived, the first thing Gini asked about was the baby. Lisa told her Lenny wanted to spend the day with Timmy alone, and she and Debbie were going to go clothes shopping for a new outfit for Debbie.

  “Why?” Gini asked.

  “One of my old friends is visiting next week, and, I, well, I just need some new clothes,” Debbie said.

  Lisa had her arm around Debbie’s waist, and Debbie’s arm lay relaxed on Lisa’s shoulders. Lisa loved spending time with Debbie and was grateful that Lenny had no problem with the two ladies being together. Another man might be suspicious, knowing they had been lovers in the past, thinking that might tempt Lisa to be intimate with Debbie again, but she respected her husband too much to do that. Besides, they were close friends, and close friends—girls—could hug and hold hands without being out of place.

  When Debbie and Lisa walked out together, Lisa hugged Debbie tighter. “This is going to be so much fun.” With her head cocked to one side, she smiled Debbie’s favorite flirty smile.

  “Yes, it is, Leesy. Let’s go do it.”

  Lisa was slightly built, about five foot three, with fine strawberry blonde hair. The strands seemed to have a mind of their own, a few wild pieces flying in all directions, which always amused Debbie. The faded freckles across Lisa’s nose, almost hidden in her fair skin, were another endearing feature. Even though Debbie always felt she was the mature one in their relationship, Debbie recognized how Lisa could ground her when she became frantic, or rude, or like a junkyard dog.

  Robert was happy Debbie was getting back to a normal life. She had finally relaxed and was finding time for herself. She’d been so intense the last few months, taking on the added responsibility of another person’s well-being. He had worried about her.

  Tuesday morning, Debbie woke with butterflies in her stomach. She tried to tell herself she was being ridiculous; Micky was a friend. Why was she so nervous about seeing her? But Debbie knew deep down she could still be in love with her and feared the feelings might be reciprocated. Debbie honestly did not know how she would deal with all that now. Her life was so different than when they were together in the past.

  She jumped out of bed, took a shower, and started getting dressed and ready for Micky’s visit. Then she realized she still had to take care of Gini’s bathing, which they generally did together on the days Robert was at work.

  She shook her head and put on some casual clothes and walked into the kitchen. Robert was putting on his overcoat to leave for work.

  “I’m sorry, Robert. I can make a quick pot of coffee so you can take a cup with you.”

  “No need. I have meetings all morning at the Long Wharf Hotel. I’ll get some there.” He turned and left the condo.

  Everything was out of sync, and the butterflies were still there. She looked at the monitor. Gini was sleeping soundly.

  She made sure she had all the ingredients for the luncheon Micky would attend, then went back to the monitor to check on Gini. She needed to calm down and relax. Her gaze rose up to the bottles of bourbon on the top shelf of the bar. Then she broke out laughing at herself. That’s all she needed, some laughter.

  The rest of the morning was as every weekday morning was. Gini patiently waited while Debbie applied her own makeup and Debbie put a little lipstick on Gini’s plump lips.

  “Be… uff, pree…tea.”

  “Yes, you look beautiful, baby, like always.”

  Gini smiled a big, bright smile, her dimple
s digging into her cheeks.

  About eleven, Debbie walked into the kitchen just as her phone lit up. It was a message from Micky.

  Listen, girl, my day has become crazy. I don’t think I can make it for lunch. I’ll keep in touch.

  Debbie stood stunned, staring at her cell screen.

  “Dee… bee…” Gini wrapped her arms around Debbie’s waist.

  “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.” She hugged Gini and kissed her on the top of her head.

  The house phone rang.

  “Yes,” Debbie answered.

  “Ms. Jones and that cute baby are here to see you.”

  Debbie grinned. “Howard, please send them up.”

  Debbie and Gini walked to the elevator to help Lisa with the stroller when she arrived. As Lisa walked out, she gave Debbie a big hug. “Debs, I love your new hairstyle; it looks really good.”

  “Come on,” Debbie said, “let’s get him out of that suit.”

  Timmy looked like the Michelin Man in his insulated bunting, his arms sticking out away from his body. When Debbie pulled him out of the stroller, he made a cooing sound. She hugged him close. He smelled of wonderful baby smells.

  Gini hugged around Lisa’s waist. “Bay… bee, hah… dah.”

  “He’s nice and toasty warm,” Lisa said, giving Gini a quick kiss on the forehead. “It’s really cold out there. I want him to be safe in the winter weather.”

  “What brings you here?” Debbie asked. “Why get out in the cold if you don’t have to?”

  “Lenny needed a plumbing part that can only be found in South End. He and his crew are up in Marblehead on a job. When he told me he couldn’t get here for a while, I said I’d be at your place.”

  “Did you find the part?”

  “Yep, right where he told me it would be. How come you’re all fancied up?” Lisa then suddenly remembered. “Oh, Debbie, I’m sorry!” She walked to take Timmy. “Your lunch with… what was her name? Micky, yes, Micky.”