“Put the flowers in the vase on the island,” the designer yells at me.
I scurry over and set the big bouquet of tulips where I was told while the designer takes a moment to look around.
“Wow. This really looks great. Thank you, everyone, for all your help.” She gives me a hug. “And for finding the crew to make this happen. When we had to redo their electrical work, it really put us behind schedule. I didn’t think this was possible.”
Mrs. Diamond yells out, “They are leaving the hospital now!”
“Okay, everyone out!” I say to the crew that has been helping us put the finishing touches on the remodel.
Everyone quickly clears out, and I give Mrs. Diamond and Mrs. Mac hugs. “Thank you for doing all this.”
“I can’t wait to tell Danny and Lori how you put this all together,” Mrs. D says.
“Um, I, uh, don’t really want them to know.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t. I didn’t do it to get a thank-you or any praise. I just wanted them to come home and be able to relax with their baby.”
Mrs. D gives me another hug. “If that’s what you want, dear,” she says, “my lips are sealed.”
“Come on, Mrs. Mac. Let’s get out of here.”
On the walk across the yard to my house, Mrs. Mac questions me, “Why wouldn’t you want them to know what you did for them? I mean, what an amazing gift.”
“Lori and I haven’t been as close as we once were,” I confide.
“I noticed that when you were up for her shower. Was she mad at you then?”
“I think she’s just been upset in general. She and Danny have had a rough time. Both with the pregnancy and their marriage.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Pregnancy can be tough on a relationship. Doug and I were married for a very short time before we had Ashley, and it wasn’t easy. Sadly, it gets worse once the baby is born.”
“It does? Danny thinks things will go back to normal now that the baby is here.”
Mrs. Mac lets out a full-on belly laugh. “Oh, wow. That’s funny. Danny is in for a rude awakening. Normal is now a relative term. It won’t be anything like when you were dating or first married. Those days are over.”
And this worries me.
