Chapter Forty-Two. Betty, 1964
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
“The medium said, ‘[Your father] wants you to tell [your mom] that she can get rid of his neckties now. Does that make sense?’ … My mom began to cry even harder and said, ‘The only thing that I kept was his neckties. They’re still in his closet.’”
—Huffington Post
The women silently ate their dinners of lukewarm macaroni and cheese and overly salted peas and carrots while Dr. Trimble’s fingers clacked furiously against his typewriter’s keys.
Their requested supplies had been delivered along with the meal, so they washed the dishes and took turns showering in the cramped bathroom before drying off with fresh towels and changing back into their uniforms.
Dr. Trimble’s hypothesis was being proven correct, he’d told them. The long day of testing had yielded their strongest results yet.
“I’ve never seen him so excited,” Kathleen whispered. “He actually almost smiled.”
“He tried to light his pipe when it was already lit,” Helen chimed in, giggling.
“Oh, I can’t wait to get back home and out of this stupid dress,” Betty said, sinking down on a bunk. Kathleen was across from her, and they were so close their knees almost touched. Helen and Ivy came to join them.
“What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get home?” Helen asked.
“Sleep,” Ivy moaned. “I feel like I could sleep forever and not be rested.”
Kathleen sighed. “Soak in a hot bath.”
Tell Douglas about the baby, Betty thought. Once he recovered from the shock, they’d start preparing the nursery. By this time next year, their lives would be so much more content. She lay a hand on her abdomen, trying to convince herself it was true.
Betty had planned to see her doctor for a pregnancy test and tell Douglas the result first, but as she looked around at the faces of her dearest friends, she couldn’t hold it back.
“I have some news,” she began. “Baby Sandra’s going to have a little playmate next year.”
Kathleen got it first, squealing softly and hugging Betty. A second later, Helen joined in. Ivy hugged Betty, too, but her expression reminded Betty of someone who was trying to force a smile for a photograph. It didn’t feel genuine. Maybe she was coming down with a cold.
“I haven’t told Douglas yet, so you must keep it a secret,” Betty said.
“He’ll be thrilled, won’t he?” Kathleen asked.
Betty felt her eyes fill with unexpected tears. “I hope so.”
“Oh, sugar, don’t cry.” Kathleen patted Betty’s knee. “It’s this strange place. It’s making you weepy.”
“It’s not just that. Douglas wanted to wait a bit longer. I’m worried he’ll be upset at first.”
“Douglas will come around,” Ivy told her. “Sometimes it takes men longer. They’re not as emotional as we are.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Betty pressed her knuckles into her eyes, trying to staunch her tears. “It’s just—”
She couldn’t hold back the sob that erupted from her throat.
“It’s just a bit of the baby blues,” Ivy told her. “I think I still have them, too.”
“I really do think this place is preying on all of our minds,” Kathleen said. “Last night I kept recalling a horrible time from my childhood.”
“We need to get out as quickly as we can, so let’s keep trying our hardest during testing,” Betty said as the others nodded.
“I wonder if…” Kathleen’s voice trailed off.
“Say it,” Helen urged.
“It might be silly. But Dr. Trimble wants us to be as close as possible to prove his hypothesis. And it seems to be working. So maybe we can help with that.”
“I don’t see how we can be any closer,” Helen said. “We’re spending all our time together. We’re eating the same meals, wearing the same outfits, and sleeping in the same space.”
“That’s the physical piece. But I meant an emotional connection.
” Kathleen hesitated. “Do you remember early on when Dr. Trimble told us to share our secrets, the things we hide from everyone? He meant our special abilities. But I wonder what might happen if we shared our other secrets now. If that could connect us even deeper, by knowing one another so intimately.”
The women stared at each other for a long moment, but no one spoke. Then Betty’s whisper broke the silence. “I have a secret worry. What if Douglas falls in love with someone else?”
“That could never happen!” Kathleen cried.
“That pretty new girl, Emily, the one with the English accent? Douglas must be spending a lot of time working with her this week.”
“Oh, Bets, you can’t truly be worried about that!” Kathleen sounded indignant. “He’s your husband. And you’ve just told us you’re pregnant with his baby!”
“But things between us have been a bit distant. Someone else could swoop in and take my place!”
“Douglas would never cast you aside. You’re a wonderful wife,” Ivy’s voice quavered. “But I’ve always felt like David could do better. I’m plump and homely. Even my father thought so.”
“That’s not true!” Betty protested. “You’re beautiful.”
Ivy shrugged. “I’m glad you think so.”
“You are, Ivy,” Kathleen insisted, reaching for Ivy’s hand.
“I think all of your husbands are lucky to have you,” Helen said. “You’re the loveliest girls I’ve ever known. But I worry I may end up a spinster.”
“No, no, you’ll marry and have a houseful of children,” Betty reassured her. “You’ll see. What about your crush? That handsome, dark-haired man you’ve mentioned?”
Helen looked down at her hands. “I—I don’t think it will work out.”
“Don’t be in such a rush, Helen. You’ve still got a little time.
Enjoy your single years while you have them.
I would have loved to have been a stewardess for another year.
The places I would have seen, the people I could have met…
” Kathleen shook her head. “I know I’m lucky to have Ronald.
I’d never tell him, but I wish I’d met him a year or two later. ”
“I have another secret.” Betty looked down at her abdomen. She couldn’t quite believe she was uttering the words she’d vowed to never tell a soul.
She squeezed her eyes shut as she blurted it out: “Douglas thinks I’m taking birth control pills. But I’ve been flushing them down the toilet.”