Chapter 15Peggy Warner
Chapter 15
Ready to Live
Peggy Warner
F or the first day in weeks Peggy May Warner had nothing to do. So close to Ashley-Lynn’s due date, both grandmothers had driven in for the shower and planned to stay until the birth.
It wasn’t long after Peggy had made her escape to meet Duke for their first real date that the newest Warner made her grand entrance, popping out in the middle of the baby shower. Turns out Ashley-Lynn’s labor started around the same time the guests arrived, but she ignored it, thinking it was just another false alarm and not wanting to miss out on the cake. About half an hour later, she delivered a screaming bundle of joy.
Some of the women had still been arranging the nursery and putting out food when the newest Warner arrived. But no one thought to call Peggy or the clinic before the baby was cleaned up.
Peggy heard that after the head nurse finished her shift, she dropped by the Warners’ house to make sure all was proper. Some of the ladies there for the shower claimed little Katie was already learning to talk. She was a whopping eight pounds and two ounces.
Auntie Ruth planned to stay a few weeks, and Fred’s mother said she’d stay a bit longer if needed. Since the baby seemed healthy and the doctor wouldn’t be in until Monday, everyone agreed to wait to make the one-mile journey to the clinic on Monday morning. So, for once, Peggy wasn’t needed.
She wasn’t surprised that none of her kin thought to tell her about the baby until days later. She had always been easy to forget. When her aunt came to the house to tell Peggy’s mom all the details about the delivery, Peggy just listened with a smile.
Her aunt’s story was like a dramatic retelling until she got to Fred and how calm he’d been this time when his wife delivered their newborn. He was a pro by now. The new dad wasn’t much help, though, watching it all through the camera five feet away.
While several ladies circled his wife, Fred had watched and narrated for the group, describing everything that was happening. Which was pretty much nothing. The baby cried after she popped out. But soon she slept, and everyone told Fred he had a beautiful baby girl.
Peggy didn’t say a word when her Aunt Ruth told all about her perfect new grandbaby. She just listened to the stories and kept refilling glasses while her mother oohed and aahed at the right times.
Ruth swore they could hear Fred breathing like a train at first, trying to hold back his tears. Then there were a few yells of joy mixed in. And suddenly everyone was giggling and laughing at the noise of a newborn. Auntie Ruth claimed it was a full five minutes before Fred said anything to anyone. He just stared at the new baby.
Someone finally said the baby was the most beautiful girl they’d ever seen and Fred yelled, “She sure is!” And then fell into awestruck silence again.
After her story, Ruth turned to Peggy. “You got to come see her. She’s perfect.”
“I’ll try.” Peggy’s face felt frozen in place.
She’d seen this many times. Not the birthing, but the wiggling newborn and the recovering mama. When she would visit in a few weeks, she’d just be a guest. She wasn’t close family, only someone who helped out when needed.
Besides, with Aunt Ruth around, no one else in the room would get a chance to hold the baby anyway.
Peggy learned years ago that grandmothers didn’t turn their new grandbabies free, even if the diaper was wet. And visitors wouldn’t notice the couple’s two other preschoolers. In a matter of days, the older kids would wreck the house and break several of the new baby’s toys. Peggy thought that was a rite of passage.
Peggy stepped back, letting her aunt talk to her mom. In a week they’d probably call her to drop in and wash the dishes, but right now she was perfectly fine having nothing to do. No one to help.
She walked to her car, reflecting on her lot in life. She hated her job. She hated being only the helper, always on the outside. Just moving around to tidy things up.
She had no education for a real occupation. No training for a career. At this rate she’d die poor with no space of her own. Living in her parents’ garage apartment.
That’s how she’d lived for as long as she could remember. Waiting for someday to arrive. She was tired of tasting only tiny bites of life. She wanted to spend her time with Duke, but she also wanted to keep him to herself, afraid that he would disappear, like a figment of her imagination.
Since their first date, she and Duke had planned to meet up again a few times, but something always got in the way. They couldn’t find the time. After they missed each other two times in a row, Duke began leaving her notes hidden behind the big oak tree shading the graves. One or two words. 12 tomorrow or Monday lunch .
She parked along the hill that led to the cemetery and stared at the giant oak’s branches waving in the wind. Duke was nowhere to be seen, but she knew he’d come along when he could. A sweet giddiness swept through her, and she got out of the car and headed up the hill. Pulling out the note, she stared at the words she’d written hours ago in her room. Meet me here Wednesday at six. I’m ready for another date. Peggy folded the paper and stuffed the message under the tree’s roots where they’d broken free of the ground.
Her moments with him were the only times she felt alive. And she was ready to live.