Read Online Fudge Brownies & Murder by Janel Gradowski - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janel Gradowski
Ads: Link
She had faced down knife-wielding mental patients in the emergency room, but nothing scared her more than becoming a mom. Actually, facing down strung out addicts, knowing that a baby was at home depending on her to be its momma, was her number one fear. A topic she'd been mulling over more and more. But if she brought that up, too, Amy's head might explode. They would talk later about career choices. For now, she decided to take it easy on Amy and her always overactive mind by sticking to one topic.
"My mom can help. It's been a while since I was a baby, so she may be a bit rusty, but she at least has experience. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to spend time with her first grandchild while showing me the mommy ropes."
Amy actually took her eyes off the road for a few seconds to give Carla a withering look that would've made a soap opera actress jealous of her emoting abilities. "I don't know anything about your mom. You hardly ever talk about her."
"That would be because I haven't seen her in the entire time you and I have been friends."
It seemed as though her life was full of fears that compounded every day. Would she go into labor too early? Would the baby have problems? What was labor going to be like? How painful, exactly, would it be? And…how would she and her mother get along after not seeing each other in almost ten years?
"She's been in New Zealand since before I met you. Living in a remote artists' colony making clay coffee mugs and bowls for her only income hasn't left her with a lot of extra money. Now that her first grandchild is almost here, she's scrounged up enough for plane tickets. Mom used to be like you before she and Dad divorced. She went from organizing fundraisers and hosting dinner parties to living off the grid on the other side of the world with a bunch of hippies so she could find herself. "
Carla shifted so that she was lying somewhat on her side. The baby kicked her in the ribs in retaliation for waking it up with the movement. She had been an adult and living on her own for years when her mother left on her spiritual journey. That didn't mean having her mother just walk out of her life didn't sting. Everybody in the family thought her mom was crazy, so by association, Carla had to be, too.
"That's the most you've ever told me about her," Amy said as the car rolled to a stop at an intersection. "I think it's very brave for her to reinvent herself after the divorce. I bet she's doing what she wants instead of what everybody else wants her to do now."
"True…and I do admire her for that. She used to be like me, very serious and…uptight. Now when I talk to her on the phone, it's almost like I'm talking to you. I have no idea who my own mother is now."
Amy laughed as she pulled into a parking space. Carla could see the Expectant Mothers Only sign through the windshield. She knew they were at the ob-gyn's office but had no idea why Amy was laughing. "What's so funny?"
"Your apprehension over seeing your mom has spooked your husband. He has no problems chasing after killers, but he asked me to go with him to the airport tomorrow to pick your mom up."
"He didn't tell me that!"
"It's okay. I don't mind. He said he thought she would be more comfortable having another woman to chat with on the ride home. Besides, I think your mom sounds great. I can't wait to meet her." She held out her arm so Carla could use it to pull herself up to a sitting position. "But right now, let's get you into the office and see how the baby is doing."
Carla had been laying on the couch for so long it felt like a major accomplishment when she was able to hoist herself to a standing position for one of the increasingly frequent bathroom breaks. Getting out of Amy's compact Mini was a near heroic feat. All of the leg muscles she had toned at the gym doing what was most likely millions of squats and lunges over the years had gone on maternity leave along with the rest of her once svelte body. With Amy's mother
"My mom can help. It's been a while since I was a baby, so she may be a bit rusty, but she at least has experience. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to spend time with her first grandchild while showing me the mommy ropes."
Amy actually took her eyes off the road for a few seconds to give Carla a withering look that would've made a soap opera actress jealous of her emoting abilities. "I don't know anything about your mom. You hardly ever talk about her."
"That would be because I haven't seen her in the entire time you and I have been friends."
It seemed as though her life was full of fears that compounded every day. Would she go into labor too early? Would the baby have problems? What was labor going to be like? How painful, exactly, would it be? And…how would she and her mother get along after not seeing each other in almost ten years?
"She's been in New Zealand since before I met you. Living in a remote artists' colony making clay coffee mugs and bowls for her only income hasn't left her with a lot of extra money. Now that her first grandchild is almost here, she's scrounged up enough for plane tickets. Mom used to be like you before she and Dad divorced. She went from organizing fundraisers and hosting dinner parties to living off the grid on the other side of the world with a bunch of hippies so she could find herself. "
Carla shifted so that she was lying somewhat on her side. The baby kicked her in the ribs in retaliation for waking it up with the movement. She had been an adult and living on her own for years when her mother left on her spiritual journey. That didn't mean having her mother just walk out of her life didn't sting. Everybody in the family thought her mom was crazy, so by association, Carla had to be, too.
"That's the most you've ever told me about her," Amy said as the car rolled to a stop at an intersection. "I think it's very brave for her to reinvent herself after the divorce. I bet she's doing what she wants instead of what everybody else wants her to do now."
"True…and I do admire her for that. She used to be like me, very serious and…uptight. Now when I talk to her on the phone, it's almost like I'm talking to you. I have no idea who my own mother is now."
Amy laughed as she pulled into a parking space. Carla could see the Expectant Mothers Only sign through the windshield. She knew they were at the ob-gyn's office but had no idea why Amy was laughing. "What's so funny?"
"Your apprehension over seeing your mom has spooked your husband. He has no problems chasing after killers, but he asked me to go with him to the airport tomorrow to pick your mom up."
"He didn't tell me that!"
"It's okay. I don't mind. He said he thought she would be more comfortable having another woman to chat with on the ride home. Besides, I think your mom sounds great. I can't wait to meet her." She held out her arm so Carla could use it to pull herself up to a sitting position. "But right now, let's get you into the office and see how the baby is doing."
Carla had been laying on the couch for so long it felt like a major accomplishment when she was able to hoist herself to a standing position for one of the increasingly frequent bathroom breaks. Getting out of Amy's compact Mini was a near heroic feat. All of the leg muscles she had toned at the gym doing what was most likely millions of squats and lunges over the years had gone on maternity leave along with the rest of her once svelte body. With Amy's mother
Similar Books
