An hour and a half later, I’m pulling into the drive after dropping Emmy off, and I’mstillblindsided. When she told me what Ben was planning, I was completely speechless for several seconds, opening and closing my mouth like a fish.
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you!” Emmy cried. “I wanted to warn you because I didn’t really think you were expecting this, but Ben is twenty, Abby. He’s a man, and he knows what he wants.”
I shook my head, trying to organize my panicked thoughts. “They’re still so young,” I finally managed to gasp out. “Back in New Jersey, Bethany would only have just finished her freshman year of college.”
“Well, life is different here,” Emmy argued. “And they’ve both grown up a lot. If they know what they want, what does it matter?”
“But Ben is her first boyfriend—”
“And Bethany is Ben’s first girlfriend,” Emmy fired back. “Would you really want it any other way? Getting their hearts broken time and time again?”
“No, but… Ben might know what he wants, but I just want to make sure Bethany does.”
“And why wouldn’t she want Ben?” Emmy demanded.
“I’m not saying anything against Ben, Emmy,” I protested. “It’s just a big decision to make at such a young age.” I felt like I was skirting the edges of an argument with my best friend, and that was something I really didn’t want to do. I suspected Emmy felt my reluctance to have Bethany proposed to was somehow a rejection of her son, but it really wasn’t. I just wanted Bethany to experience more of life—travel, school, and work—before settling down into a life of marriage, housework, and kids.
But I felt like I couldn’t explain that to Emmy—who didn’t have much of any of those three things before getting married—without offending her, so I simply said, “I’m just surprised. Thank you for… for telling me.”
We spent the rest of the trip mostly silent, in a way that wasn’t tense but definitely felt a little uneasy. I hate the thought that Emmy and I might have a falling-out over this. We might be best friends, but I can’t help but wonder how we’ll work as mutual in-laws. Already I’m picturing our not-quite-arguments about the wedding, the babies that will come along, or any number of things.
And yet this isEmmy. I love her. And even if she thinks getting married at nineteen is fine if that’s what you want and Idon’t, at least not when it comes to my daughter, well… we need to make this work. For Bethany and Ben, but also for us as friends.
My mind is jumbled, my shoulders tense despite the massage, as I climb out of the car and head inside.
“Mom!” Rose runs toward me, throwing her arms around my waist as I stagger back from the force of her hug. “I missed you! Did you get me a present?”
“No, I did not,” I tell her on a laugh as I return her hug. “Rose, I was gone for less than forty-eight hours. That does not merit a present.”
“Aww…” She grins at me, giving me one extra squeeze before letting go. “Wait ‘til you see what Daddy’s done!”
Words to cause my heart to plummet like a stone. Over the twenty-odd years of our marriage, I’ve gone away only a few times, and each time Josh hasdonesomething—bought a car, taken all the kids to a resort in the Poconos for a last-minute treat, booked a year of weekly housecleaning. They’re always decisions that are meant to make my life easier, and yet somehow, they don’t,andthey cost a fortune.
I should have braced myself for something like this, but with Emmy telling me about Ben’s proposal plans, the possibility of Josh’s impulsive actions slipped my mind.
“What has he done?” I ask Rose warily.
“Come see.” Tugging my hand, she leads me through the kitchen—which is not too much of a mess—out to the backyard. I look around, hardly knowing what to expect, but everything seems comfortably the same. The chickens are in their run, pecking and clucking. Chewy and Billy, our two goats, are in the far field, and Mabel is by the barn, her calf Daisy next to her. The pigs are sprawled in their outdoor area, enjoying the sun; they’ve grown a lot in the last couple of weeks, and I am starting to understand how it will be possible to get hundreds of pounds of meat off them in just a few months.
The garden is full of green shoots, which gladdens my heart. In the greenhouse, my potatoes have finally chitted enough to be planted out. Everything looks fine. It looks great.
So, what has Josh done?
“Ah, there you are!” He strolls from the field beyond the barn, grinning in a way that confirms he is definitely up to something. “Did you have a nice time?”
“Yes, great,” I answer automatically. I wonder when I will get a chance to tell him about Ben. “Rose says you’vedonesomething.”
“Rose!” Josh gives her a laughingly admonishing look. “You didn’t spoil the surprise, I hope?”
“I didn’t say anything!” Rose huffs. “I just said you’d done something.”
“So, what have you done?” I ask, trying to sound upbeat and interested rather than alarmed.
Josh’s grin widens. “Remember when I said I wanted to get my business plan sorted out?”
“Yes…” I’m not sure what that has to do with whatever he’s done, but I’m sure it’s all going to make sense to me in a few minutes… for better or for worse.
“Well, it’s sorted,” he announces. “And we’ve all been working hard this weekend to make it happen.”
