Annie still didn’t know why they’d come back to the Vineyard. Or if Francine’s aunt and uncle hadn’t joined them merely because of a lack of available reservations. Perhaps there had been a falling-out between the aunt and uncle and Taylor, which would not be surprising, at least not to Annie. Kevin’s wife could be irritating, no doubt especially to people who did not know her well.
She tossed a side glance to Francine. “I’m so happy to see you. We’re all so glad you’re here. But—”
“But . . .” Francine cut in, “it seems like a lot of trouble and expense for some turkey and apple-cranberry pie—especially since Kevin and Taylor only came to Minneapolis three days ago. Is that what you’re thinking?”
Annie laughed. “Now that you mention it, yes.”
Francine sighed.
“Tell her,” Jonas said from the back seat. “That was our agreement.”
Francine began to weave her gloved fingers together.
The uneasy feeling that something was wrong returned with a vengeance.
“It’s no big deal,” Francine said. “I’ve just been nervous lately. A lot.”
Annie reached across the console and touched her shoulder. “Is the baby okay?”
She nodded. “The doctor says the baby’s fine. And I’m fine. Sometimes I feel a little sick, you know? But then it passes. He says it’s normal. And that everything will be fine.”
Because Francine had used the wordfinethree times in her short sentences, Annie now knew for sure that things were not fine. They fell into silence until they reached the roundabout, when Annie gently asked, “What are you not telling me?”
Francine didn’t reply right away. Then she simply said, “See? That’s why I had to come . . . home. I know my aunt and uncle care about me—about us—but I’d rather be here with all of you.”
Her words hung in the air a moment before Jonas added, “She’s scared, Annie.”
“About what? That something will happen to the baby?”
Francine cleared her throat. “A little. But I’m more scared that something will happen to me.”
“But, honey,” Annie said, “you’re healthy. You take good care of yourself . . .”
Francine shook her head. “Remember I told you that after Bella was born, my mother got an infection?”
Annie remembered that. The woman had died within days of giving birth. “But that won’t happen to you. For one thing, your mom was over forty, wasn’t she? You’re not quite twenty-two.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“Besides,” Annie said with a crooked smile, “we’re not going to let anything bad happen. You have my word. So you can stop worrying.”
“I’m trying not to. Honest I am. But it’s really hard.” She started to cry.
Jonas reached over the top of the seat and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Which is why I asked her if she wanted to come home.”
A tiny lump rose in Annie’s throat. “What about school?” As much as she wanted her on the island, Francine had been working so hard toward a degree in hospitality and tourism management....
“I can work remotely. And my adviser said I can get extra on-site credits if I get an internship at one of the hotels. Which I think would be fun.”
“So . . .” Annie started to relax. “You want to stay here until the baby’s born?”
“That’s the plan. If you’ll have us.”
“Marty and Bill are upset that we left,” Jonas said. “They’re pretty attached to Bella. And to Francine, too.” Marty and Bill were the aunt and uncle; Marty had been Francine’s late mother’s sister.
“We’re pretty attached, too,” Annie added, then lightly patted Francine’s knee. “It’s going to be okay, honey. We’re here for you. And you have a doctor here that you like, right?”
She nodded again and wiped her tears. “Yeah,” she said. “Which is another reason I want to be here.”
