Chapter 45
“What are the two of you doing tomorrow night?” Lauren joined Kathy in their tiny break room. She waited with an empty mug in her hand while Kathy’s third cup of the day streamed steadily from the machine.
“You mean Valentine’s Day?” Kathy asked. “Absolutely nothing.”
“You and Jake always go out.”
“That was before we had the twins,” Kathy said with a laugh.
“It’s too much effort on a weeknight now.
With any luck, the boys will go to bed early, and we’ll have time to watch an entire television show before we both conk out.
” She sighed. “I miss the days when I’d shop for a new dress, and Jake would take me somewhere swanky.
Honestly, I don’t have the energy for all that right now. ”
“You’ll get back to it,” Lauren said, patting her arm reassuringly. “Things will get easier with the twins.”
Kathy removed her mug and took a sip. “I guess I may as well tell you,” she said. “We’ve decided to try for a third.”
“Oh, Kathy,” Lauren said, slipping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a quick hug. “That’s wonderful.”
“I hope so,” Kathy said. “Sometimes I think I’m out of my mind. As active as the boys are …” She shook her head. “But I’d really like a girl. So, we’ve decided to give it another go. Of course, there’s no guarantee we’ll get our wish.”
“And if you have another boy,” Lauren said, “you’ll love him as completely as the other two and never look back.”
“I know,” Kathy said with a small smile.
Lauren slid her cup beneath the dual spouts of the fancy coffee machine and pressed the button. The grinder whirred, and the machine hummed as the water heated.
“That’s enough about me,” Kathy said. “What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?”
“It’s karaoke night at The Friendly Bean,” Lauren said. “Valentine’s Day karaoke is a big deal there. They’re even starting an hour earlier.”
“You’re having a wonderful time with that, aren’t you?” Kathy said. “Jake and I need to come one night. I’d love to hear you sing. I’m sure you’re the best one there.”
Lauren shrugged modestly. “They’re doing something new this year,” she said. “Patrons can choose a song and request one of the regulars to sing it. All they have to do is make a donation to the local food bank.”
“That’s a terrific idea,” Kathy said. “Have people requested ones from you?”
Lauren nodded. “We received our list of songs last week. I was already familiar with most of them, but I’ve been brushing up on lyrics and practicing how I’d perform them. One song is outside my usual vocal range, so I’ve been working on that one a lot.”
Kathy stepped back and studied her. “How many songs have people requested?”
“Eight.”
“Holy cow, girl!” Kathy laughed. “That’s incredible. You must own that place.” She leaned closer. “Which one is giving you trouble?”
“‘At Last’ by Etta James.”
“Ohhhh, I love that song. When we come to karaoke night, will you sing it for me?”
“Maybe,” Lauren replied. “Let’s see how I do with it tomorrow night.”
“Have you met anybody there?”
“I’ve made a ton of friends. It’s the nicest group of people.” Lauren smiled. “And Pumpkin is practically a fixture there. They keep a little water bowl for her in the owner’s office on karaoke nights.”
Kathy laughed. “Of course they do. I meant,” she continued, lowering her voice and leaning in, “have you met someone there? Someone special?”
Lauren shook her head. “And I really don’t care,” she said. “I feel like I’ve finally found my tribe.” For a moment, she thought about Helen and her Newport friends, and felt the familiar warm sense of belonging she had experienced there.
“That’s okay,” Kathy said cheerfully. “You’ll be introduced to Mike Miller on Saturday night. I predict sparks will fly.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “Break time is over,” she announced. “Idle chatter is finished. We’d better get back to work.”