I looked down at Maisy and felt suddenly drenched in sadness. Because the reality was that Maisy might not get to be mine. I wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice when there were married couples with stay-at-home moms just waiting on lists for healthy baby girls like Maisy.
I looked over at Mason again, the bright spot. Whether or not I got to keep Maisy, she had led me to Mason. And that in and of itself felt like a miracle.
I turned to look up in the stands and saw Sarah, and my stomach dropped. Here I was parading around with her baby. I had to talk to her. She gave me a little wave, and, honestly, she looked relieved—and healthy, thank goodness.
Tilley, Big George, Olivia, Elizabeth, Mr. Saxton, and Mr. Thaysden appeared at the concession stand, and Greer and George made a beeline for them. Amelia smiled, watching her children as Big George lifted his namesake up in his arms and Greer squeezed onto Tilley’s leg. I didn’t miss the way George put his hand on the small of Tilley’s back as they talked to the children and, evidently, neither did Amelia. “Whoa. What in the world was that?” she asked.
I’m sure I looked as stunned as I felt. “I don’t know. Do you think something could be going on there?”
Amelia helped herself to a peanut with the hand that wasn’t holding Maisy. “I don’t know. I mean, I wanted her to date again, but I wasn’t imagining that to hit so close to home.”
“Maybe it’s just a hand,” I said.
Amelia smiled sweetly as Greer came back, taking the sleeping baby’s hand. “Maybe find out for me?”
Big George was still holding little George as I got up and walked to the concession stand.
“Oh, Daisy! Darling!” Tilley trilled. “George, this is Daisy, the woman who has swept into our lives, stolen Mason’s heart, and is the very reason I am back on the stage.”
The drama of her was too good. “I’m so glad to meet you. But I am not the reason Tilley is back onstage. I simply drove her and watched in awe.”
George squeezed her to his side. “She is magnificent, isn’t she?”
Wow. So, he was smitten.
“I’m going to go sit with Amelia and Parker,” George said, leaving me alone with Tilley.
“Um, ma’am, I know we aren’t at the beauty parlor, but I need the scoop.”
She laughed. “I don’t want to say too much, but I believe we might be starting a little something.”
“Wow!”
Tilley took my arm and pulled me off to the side, where we were truly alone. “Daisy, about the other day…”
I put my hand up. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Tilley. I know that sometimes you go somewhere else, so to speak. And—”
“But I never should have gone there,” she said.
I bit my lip. I looked around, realizing this was probably an inappropriate place for a life-changing conversation. But I also had anidea. “Tilley, I mean this with all due respect…” I trailed off, wondering if I would hurt her feelings.
“What? What do you want to say?”
I scrunched my nose. “If what you said is true, and if you need to unburden yourself, Robbie probably won’t believe you.”
Tilley looked up into the stands, as if considering, which is when I noticed Trina and Robbie were sitting in the very top row. I hadn’t even seen them there.
“Darling, truly, there is nothing to tell.” She paused. “But may I say something, from me, an old woman with a lot of life experience, to you, a young one with all the heart in the world?”
I squeezed her hand. “You aren’t old, Tilley. And you may say anything to me at any time, because we are besties.”
She laughed. “Maybe it isn’t my place…”
My stomach gripped.
“I don’t know everything, but I do hear quite a bit around town, as you can imagine.” She paused and looked up at me.
“Tilley! You’re killing me! What?”
