Penny leaned forward to hug Taya. Then Bea and Evie came over and joined them. They all sat together for a long time in a warm embrace until finally Taya’s tears dried and she was able to speak again.
“We should eat,” she said. “If there’s food in my mouth, I can’t cry.”
They all laughed and took their seats again. The table was covered with plates of appetisers — cheeses, crackers, olives and thinly sliced deli meats. They filled up their plates with the good food and sipped iced tea.
“You know there’s nothing wrong with a good cry,” Evie said as she placed a napkin in her lap.
“I sometimes cry at commercials,” Bea added. “They make them so emotional these days.”
“Me too,” Penny admitted. “Of course, more so now that I’m pregnant. The hormones have been a killer.”
“How are you feeling generally?” Evie asked.
Penny smirked. “Pretty good. Though they call me a geriatric mother. Did you know that? Kind of rude, if you ask me.”
Taya’s brow furrowed. “Very rude. You’re not geriatric.”
“I’m forty-seven, almost forty-eight.”
“Which begs the question,” Bea said. “How?”
Penny laughed and shook her head so her blonde curls bounced. “We weren’t trying or anything. The doctor said it can happen, obviously, but it’s very rare.”
“It’s a miracle,” Evie said. “I bet you were surprised.”
“That doesn’t even come close to covering it,” Penny replied. “I was in utter shock. Plus, I felt awful all the time. I was so tired. I was convinced I had cancer, so I went to the doctor and almost fell off my chair when he told me I was pregnant.”
“How does Rowan feel?” Taya asked.
Penny grinned. “He’s over the moon. Neither of us ever had children, and we didn’t think we would get the chance. Now, it feels like everything is different. We have more to worry about than ourselves. We’ve got to plan a future for our child. It’s so strange to say that.”
A waiter came into the room to take their orders. Taya unfolded the napkin to place in her lap. “Well, I think we can safely say you will be the only pregnant alumnus at our high school reunion.”
They all laughed heartily at that.
After the main course arrived—roast beef with crispy roasted vegetables and fresh greens with gravy on top—the ladies dug in while chatting about everything that’d happened in each of their lives since their last get-together.
“How do you like life on the road?” Taya asked. She’d spoken to Penny about it before, of course. But now that her friend was pregnant, she wondered if anything had changed.
“It’s fun. We’ve had the best time. It was a good move for our marriage and for our mental health. Especially for Rowan’s, of course. He’s back to his old self—confident, obnoxious, happy.”
“And you?” Evie asked.
“I’m better,” Penny replied. “I’m lonely, of course. And I get bored. I’ve read a lot of books, watched a lot of movies, but maybe that was what I needed. I was feeling pretty run down before we left. But that was the other thing I wanted to talk to all of you about — we’ve decided that I should move back home to Coral Island while Rowan stays out on the road. For now, anyway.”
“Really?” Taya asked.
“Yes. Travelling isn’t great for me when I’m pregnant. I get sick a lot more often when we’re on the move. Plus, restaurant food is so rich, I’ve struggled with indigestion. And some of the places we’re going aren’t very safe.”
“You’re moving home?” Bea exclaimed.
Penny nodded. “I’m moving home.”
A surge of happiness washed over Taya. It lifted the mantle of sadness. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. Well, that and the baby. You’re going to be here, and we can give you a shower and watch the baby grow and see his or her first steps. I’m so excited.”
“That’s great news, honey,” Evie added.
“Will you go back to work at the animal refuge?” Bea asked.
