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“Mom,” Je
“What?”
“Will you ever get so mad at me that you’ll kick me out of the house?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, Kristin must have done something really awful for her parents to get that mad at her.”
“It wasn’t so very awful,” Joa
“Really? Whatever it is, you did it, too?”
“Yes. Good night, now. I told you it was none of your business.”
“Good night.”
Thoughtfully, Joa
Maybe it was because on that night she went to bed knowing that one way or the other, the long warfare with Eleanor Lathrop Winfield might finally be coming to an end. Well, maybe not a complete end, but at least Joa
CHAPTER 20
Joa
And where were they going on their honeymoon anyway? Butch knew because he had made all the plans, but other than telling her she needed to have her passport in order, he had told Joa
“But what kind of clothes am I supposed to pack?” she had asked.
“Minimal,” he had replied.
“What does that mean? Beachwear? What?”
He had shrugged. “Not beachwear,” he had said at last, relenting. “But again, I’d bring along as little as possible.”
By the time Joa
“I’m on my way to meet Terry for breakfast,” she said. “I told him we’d better go early so neither one of us will be late for work.”
“Good,” Joa
“Much. I really did get a decent night’s sleep for a change.”
“And no morning sickness?” Joa
“None.”
“You’re lucky then.”
A momentary shadow crossed Kristin’s face. “Right now, I don’t really feel very lucky,” she said.
“Well,” Joa
The extra shower had taxed Joa
“What’s wrong?” Joa
“Is it going to be very different?” Je
“You mean after Butch and I get married?”
Je
“It’ll be different for all of us,” Joa
“A little,” Je
“How come?”
“Last night when I went to bed, I thought about Kristin’s parents-about them throwing her out. I know you said you wouldn’t ever get so mad that you’d kick me out, but it could happen. What if you ended up loving Butch more than you love me? What if you had to choose?”
“Fortunately, I don’t think that’s something either one of us will have to worry about.” By then they had pulled up at the gates of Lowell School. “Go now,” Joa
Je
Joa
“See there?” Je
“What’s already happening?”
“You’re not even married yet and you’re already forgetting about me. You can’t even remember who’s supposed to take care of me after school!”
Joa
“Go to Butch’s,” Joa
Je
“So how’s the bride on three days and counting?” Butch asked cheerfully.
“Medium,” Joa
“Let me look at the Gantt chart on my computer for a minute.”
“Gantt chart?” Joa
“You might call it a flowchart. It’s a graphical project timeline. I downloaded it into my computer from the Internet. It’s for keeping track of projects. It helps you make sure that all available resources are allocated properly. Since you put me in charge of logistics for this wedding, I live and die by my Gantt chart.
“Let’s see. Your brother and sister-in-law fly in from D.C. this afternoon. Your mother will meet them at the airport, and then they’re scheduled to have di
“Tomorrow night will be the whole group of out-of-towners-sort of a pre-rehearsal-di
“Stop,” Joa
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s leave it at that. You can tell me everything else I need to know from the whatever-the-hell-it-is chart when I need to know it.”
“Gantt chart,” he repeated. “With two t‘s. But are you okay?” he asked after a pause. “You sound stressed.”
I am stressed! she wanted to shout at him. I’m stressed beyond bearing!