Chapter 14 #3
“Ha-ha, Mom,” Grant said. “I’ve got some work to do with the company that’s producing the film about Charlie and Stephanie’s story, and it’s easier for me to be there for a while. Since the restaurant is shut down for the rest of the winter after this week, Steph’s coming with me.”
“Dan and Kara are going to be out there, too, aren’t they?” Joe asked.
“They are, and we’re looking forward to hanging out with them.”
“You’ll be back for the summer, though, right?” Adam asked.
“Wouldn’t miss summer on Gansett for anything,” Grant said, “and my lovely wife has a booming business to tend to.”
“That’s right,” Laura said. “I need you to feed my hotel guests.”
“I’m on it,” Steph said, “don’t worry. I’m just sorry we won’t be here when the twins are born.”
“We’ll send pictures,” Owen assured her. “I can’t wait to meet these two little people.”
“I can’t believe you guys aren’t finding out what you’re having,” Laura’s brother, Shane, said. “I’d be out of my mind with curiosity. Hell, I’m out of my mind with curiosity about your babies, let alone my own.”
“We can’t wait to know either,” Owen said, gazing at Laura, “but we want it to be a surprise.”
“Who knows what’s going on with Syd?” Abby asked. “They’ve been sticking close to home this week.”
“I heard she had a little scare with the baby,” Linda said, “but all is well.”
“Thank God,” Janey said to agreement from everyone else. “While we’re sharing news, I probably ought to let the rest of you know that Joseph has knocked me up again.”
Her announcement was met with dead silence.
“I know what you’re all thinking, and believe me, we’re thinking the same thing. We’ve got an appointment with a specialist in Providence after the holidays, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure baby number two’s arrival is far less dramatic than his or her brother’s was.”
“Janey,” Grant said, his expression agonized, “are you sure about this?”
“No,” Joe said, answering for both of them, “we’re not sure of anything other than we’re going to hope for the very best and thoroughly prepare for every possible scenario. I’m going to see to it personally, Grant. You have my word on that.”
The brothers who so loved to razz their sister had gone silent at the thought of the kind of danger she’d faced when PJ was born.
“If I may,” Mallory said, and all eyes turned to her. “What happened to Janey when she had PJ is extremely rare. There’s no reason to believe she can’t have a perfectly normal pregnancy and delivery this time.”
“That’s very reassuring, Mallory,” Big Mac said to his daughter. “Thank you.”
“She’s right,” Katie Lawry said. Shane’s fiancée was also a nurse. “But you’re going to need to be very careful about doing anything too strenuous or lifting PJ in the last trimester.”
“If I have my way,” Joe said, “she’ll be on full bed rest by then.”
Janey’s expression told them what she thought of that.
“We’re going to be overrun with babies around here before long,” Frank said.
Abby got up and went into the kitchen. Adam went after her.
“Is she okay?” Kevin asked.
With her gaze fixed on the kitchen door through which Adam and Abby had disappeared, Linda said, “They got some news before the anniversary party. They’re both fine, but they’re facing a difficult challenge.”
Everyone pounced on Linda for more information, but she held them off with her hands in the air. “It’s not my news to tell. You’ll hear it from them when they’re ready.”
The boisterous group fell silent when Adam and Abby returned, holding hands as they came into the room.
“Abby,” Laura said. “Are you all right?”
Abby glanced at Adam, who nodded in encouragement. “Not as all right as I’d like to be,” Abby said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “We recently learned that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, which comes with a variety of health complications, including fertility issues.”
“We’re going to fight it, though,” Adam said. “There’s a lot we can do, and we’re going to do all of it. If we can’t have a baby on our own, we’ll adopt. But we will have a family.”
Stephanie left her perch on Grant’s lap to hug Abby. “I’m so sorry to hear this, but if anyone is tough enough to fight it, you are.”
“I don’t know about that,” Abby said. “I’ve been a basket case ever since we got the news.”
“Stay off the Internet,” Mallory said. “Every situation is unique, and you don’t want to scare yourself with too much information.”
Adam nodded in agreement. “That’s what I said, too.”
“The one thing I want to say,” Abby said, seeming to marshal her defenses, “is I don’t want any of you to feel you can’t be excited about your babies in front of me.
I can’t wait to meet all of them and to love them and spoil them.
Please… Don’t let our challenges take away from your joy. Adam and I would hate that.”
Janey stood to hug Abby. “Love you. That’s all I want to say.”
“Love you, too.”
Erin leaned in to speak to Slim. “We ought to go. This is kind of a private family thing.”
“Sure, sweetheart. We’ve got important private business of our own to see to anyway.”
She rolled her eyes at him, but her face lit up with the blush he loved so much. He couldn’t wait to see more of that blush when he got her back to the lighthouse.