“Look,” Maggie said, watching them march to large glass doors of a law firm on the lobby level.
“They’re visiting an attorney?” Maggie rasped the question. “Oh, that’s not good.”
“It could be for work,” Jo Ellen said, squinting at the many partner names on what looked like a large and prestigious firm.
“Or for a divorce,” Maggie whispered.
“No!”
Maggie launched a brow and eyed a leather bench next to a tall Ficus tree in the lobby. The plant would hide them, but they were close enough to see when the couple—no, not acouple!—left the offices.
“Let’s wait and watch,” she said.
Jo Ellen agreed with a sigh, the two of them taking the bench and leaning back so they were hidden.
“Is this what my life has come to?” Maggie muttered.
“No, your life has come to moving to Destin and having the best decade of all.” Jo elbowed her. “Don’t forget that.”
“I can’t think about it now. Not with Anthony in there getting a divorce.”
“Will youstop?”
Maggie’s heart began pounding in her ears.Law office.Why would Anthony need a law office? There really was only one possibility—he was filing for “dissolution of marriage.”
“We don’t know what he’s doing in there,” Jo Ellen said quickly.
“Why else would he?—”
“Estate planning? Business contracts? Wills? His work?”
“He’s a software engineer…manager…thing. They have attorneys at that company—a whole department full of them. And it’s lunchtime. This is personal.” Maggie chewed on her lip. “This is serious.”
Time slowed while they waited, but Maggie’s mind did the opposite. It raced ahead in awful, vivid detail—Crista’s face crumpling, Nolie asking why Daddy didn’t live with them anymore, the baby born into fracture.
She pressed her palm against her chest. “I should have taken Crista more seriously.”
“You took her plenty seriously,” Jo Ellen countered. “We’re here, aren’t we?”
True enough.
Finally, after what had to be an hour, they spotted Anthony in the law firm’s lobby with the nameless brunette and a man, all of them shaking hands. The man clamped his hand on Anthony’s shoulder and beamed at him.
A moment later, Anthony and the woman walked out, too busy talking to notice the old women in scarves hiding behind a tree. They were only fifteen feet away and Maggie could see her son-in-law’s face clearly.
She knew that face and the happiness etched on it. She’d seen that expression when he hoisted Nolie on his shoulders or clapped for her from the auditorium during a Christmas play. She’d?—
“It’s done!” the woman said, reaching a hand up to high-five Anthony.
He grinned at her and held up the fat file folder. “Signed and sealed, baby.”
Baby?
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“Over the moon.” He made a face like he couldn’t contain his joy and reached for her, hugging her hard.
Hugging? Embracing, more like. A triumphant, exuberant squeeze of affection.
