Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
ALLISON
Have a baby with no cost to keep trying again.
Half of all childcare expenses.
The only thing I’d have to do is tolerate Wells’s company.
…Forever.
Every birthday, every Christmas, he’d be there with his smug face and his opinions.
But my child would have an amazing grandma in Martha, and an amazing aunt in Olivia.
In addition to mom and Molly, of course.
It was a tempting offer, even if it came wrapped in spiky barbed wires.
“Uh, Allison, babe, I think the snack mix is…mixed,” Lily called with a concerned look from across the living room.
Allison looked at the now-smashed Chex Mix in her serving bowl. Whoops. “Sorry, got distracted.”
The chatter of the rescheduled Bitch and Stitch in her living room had been a good background noise for thinking.
Lily, Violet, Pearl, Olivia, and Martha were all sitting in Allison’s cozy living room full of her favorite thrifted items. Candles burned in the hearth.
Harry weaved through the chaos, fur now clean and shining, and there were only six bandaids on Allison’s arms from getting her into the tub. Rose had taken a rain check given her intense cat allergies.
Allison loved hosting in her funky little cottage.
Secondhand teapots, candles, handmade art, all scootched together on the fireplace mantle.
Floral wallpaper ran from the floor to the ceiling.
And she loved seeing her friends all cozy, blankets over their laps, crafting or knitting projects in their hands.
It had taken a couple of years after the divorce, but she’d finally found herself again.
“I bet she’s still thinking about her torrid night with Wells,” Pearl called. Allison stuck a tongue out at her bestie as a chorus of oohs and cackles rang out.
Traitor.
Violet looked up from her sewing with wide eyes. “You spent the night with Wells?”
“I still can’t believe they didn’t murder each other,” Olivia said with a snort.
“I got close,” Allison said.
I got close to something alright. Goosebumps flooded her arms at remembering how good he’d felt under her.
“And you thought you were going to get away without sharing any details,” Pearl said, waggling her eyebrows.
“I can go upstairs to avoid hearing anything ‘torrid,’” Martha said with a teasing smile.
Allison pasted on a wobbly smile. “No torrid details. We just waited out the ice storm.”
And made out.
And I got closer to orgasming than I’d ever admit.
And I might have lots of sex with him in order to make a baby that would make me part of your family forever.
“I’m glad Bloom is still standing,” Lily said, cheersing Allison with her teacup.
Allison’s phone dinged.
WELLS
Smokey/Harry has her first vet appointment tomorrow. Got her squeezed in since the local vet and I were in Boy Scouts together.
She blinked in surprise. Guess I don’t have to call five more vet places tomorrow.
ALLISON
We are not sharing a cat.
WELLS
Yes, we are. I will pick her up before you go into Bloom. There are salmon treats for her on your porch.
Didn’t want to get bitched+stitched at.
Did they like your little sign? Did they ooh and aah over how perfect your snacks were?
Allison felt her cheeks heat. It was weird being…known. Especially by someone she didn’t even like.
ALLISON
In fact, they DID.
Buttface.
She set her phone down, but the need to be polite tugged at her, scratching at her subconscious like an itchy shirt tag.
Harry says thank you for the cat treats. I’ll leave a key under the mat.
Olivia and Martha laughed at Harry playing with yarn on the floor, catching her attention.
This would be a good time to get more info. See if this is really a good idea.
“Wells has been around a lot more than usual,” Allison said, dipping her toe in the water.
Luckily, Martha was a chatterbox.
“Yes,” Martha sighed, adjusting her neon orange rhinestone glasses as she pinned two slippery pieces of fabric. “He’s insisted on taking time off work since Herbert’s fall. I think it shook Wells. Poor guy. They’ve always been close.”
“Do lawyers take time off?” Pearl asked, confused.
“He transferred his in-progress clients to his friend Ben,” Olivia said.
“Speaking of,” Martha interrupted. “Did you see the picture Ben’s little one drew of Wells?”
“Yes,” Olivia cackled. “He looked like a literal bear in a tie.”
“Who is this?” Violet asked, trying to follow the conversation as her eyes crossed, trying to thread a needle.
Martha gently took it from Violet and threaded it expertly. “Wells is the godfather to his friend Ben’s two sons. Practically helped raise the two boys after Ben’s divorce.”
“Aw,” Violet said, sighing sweetly. “That is just like Wells.”
Allison jolted in surprise. “Really?”
“He always does thoughtful things,” Violet said earnestly. “When we were in school, Wells and Skyler doubled the volunteer hours for the student council. Oh.” Violet stopped suddenly. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, dear,” Martha said, waving her away. “It was ages ago. Wells doesn’t flinch anymore if she comes up in conversation.”
“Sorry, what’s going on?” Allison said, trying to follow.
Olivia set down the ballet costume she was mending. “Skyler was Wells’s first love. His high school girlfriend.”
“They were inseparable and so dreamy together,” Violet interjected. “Wells’s prom-posals were legendary. White doves, whole choreographed dance numbers. They were never without each other.”
“They got married right after high school,” Olivia added.
Allison’s jaw dropped. “Your brother?”
She’d believe that he ran away to the circus before she’d believe he’d gotten married at eighteen.
Olivia nodded back knowingly. “Hard to believe, right? He was such a romantic.”
“Loved that girl like his next breath,” Martha said, tsking as she smoothed out the silky fabric on her lap.
“They went to college together, but within about a year…” Olivia shrugged. “She wanted a divorce. Fell for another guy. Then another…and another. They were young, so I can’t blame her but—”
“Completely broke his heart,” Martha said with a long sigh. “He would barely let his father or me help him with the divorce. I think he was embarrassed.”
“He changed to pre-law after that.” Olivia went back to her ballet costume.
Allison’s head was spinning.
So that was why marriage wasn’t something he wanted. She’d assumed it was his delight in carving other people’s marriages apart that had made him reluctant.
She normally refused to feel sorry for him, but a little bit snuck through.
Allison scooted the conversation away from Wells for the rest of the evening, wanting some space to think about his ridiculous, inappropriate, impractical offer.
An hour later, everyone gathered their things to leave, and Allison hugged them and saw them out until only Pearl was left.
Pearl was the closest thing she’d ever had to a best friend, but she still hadn’t told her about Wells’s completely ridiculous idea.
“Is your husband going to pick you up soon?” Allison smiled, knowing how much Pearl loved the new word.
“My husband is,” Pearl said with a giddy eyeroll at herself. “God, I love saying that. Don’t tell anybody else. I’ll lose all my street cred.”
Allison smiled but felt a twinge of sadness that she’d never have that again. That feeling of being special to someone.
“Is everything okay?” Pearl said quietly. “You’ve seemed off since the whole sperm bank thing.” Pearl had figured out what happened from the local news but hadn’t pressed Allison about it.
Pearl grabbed the glasses and brought them to the small galley kitchen.
“Just busy with work.” Allison waved her away as if she was fine.
Pearl’s brows pinched together with worry. “I know you need to re-up your funds, given the whole fuckery with Dr. Jacks-off-a-lot. I could use some extra hands at the indoor farmer’s market on Saturday in Elliotsville.”
“Oh, I’d love to help,” Allison said brightly, “but you can’t pay me.”
“I sure can. We need to put some money in that baby fund,” Pearl said, playfully poking Allison in the tummy. “Because if we time it right, then you and I could have babies together.”
“Awww,” Allison sighed. They were as opposite as opposite could be—her in a corduroy dress with bumblebees on it, Pearl in all-black shredded clothes and her omni-present black lipstick—but somehow they made sense. “That would be so much fun. You’d teach them how to head bang—”
“Once their necks are strong enough, obviously,” Pearl said with a snort.
“And I’d teach them how to crochet potholders that look like roses,” Allison said with a laugh.
Playdates, shared birthday parties. Being in the thick of things instead of on the sidelines as Auntie Allison.
Pearl gave her a big hug. “You can talk about it when you’re ready,” she said quietly.
Allison nodded.
A heavy knock sounded on the door.
“Come in!” they both yelled, and Reed poked his head in, snowflakes on his hair and glasses.
A tiny, infinitesimal, microscopic—subatomic, really—part of Allison was disappointed that the head popping through wasn’t Wells.
Allison brushed it away.
“Look how fucking cute you are,” Pearl yelled at Reed. “That’s my husband.” She pointed at Reed who blushed.
A pang of jealousy at how happy they were twisted in her chest. It always did when she saw two people so obviously in love.
She was so happy for Pearl, but it felt like every time she started to make a friend, they’d go and fall in love, and she’d be second place again.
First Lily, then Pearl, then Olivia.
It was like she was a charm for everyone else to find their forever. She was left behind, always forgotten, always second place.
“You guys are adorable,” she said instead, knowing that jealousy was not a good look on her.
“Did you stitch and bitch?” Reed asked, wiping off his glasses.
“We did, and unfortunately”—Pearl hefted her big bag over her shoulder—“the patriarchy still stands, so same time next month.” She saluted Allison. Reed quietly grabbed the heavy bag from Pearl’s shoulder and waved to Allison as they walked out the door.