March 1958
Lois settled back in her
chair and watched as the pair headed out the door and down the steps,
chattering like excited chipmunks. Her older sister, Florence chose that moment
to come out of the house carrying a tray loaded with a sweating, ice and lemon
filled pitcher of homemade lemonade, paper cups from the Can, and a plate of
fresh baked ginger snaps still warm from the oven.
“Where’d
everybody go?” Florence glanced around before setting the tray on the long
table that sat against the wall.
“Thought Bill was out here and I though to heard Rainy’s voice
too.”
Lois’s
straight white teeth flashed in a laugh. “Oh, you did, but they took off to
measure the fish Rainy caught. She barely noticed me, but couldn’t wait to show
it off to Bill.”
Florence’s
green eyes flashed as she laughed too. She pushed a hand through her short wavy
red hair. “She does love him, doesn’t she? I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever met
a man who was so good with kids.”
Lois
nodded.
“And
animals,” Florence added. She picked up the pitcher and poured two cups of
lemonade, walked over and handed one to her sister. Her eyes fell to the hand
on Lois’s stomach. She turned and went back for the plate of cookies, set it
down on the little table and settled into the chair recently vacated by her
soon-to-be-brother-in-law. She half-turned in her seat to look at Lois.
“So? When are you due?” she said and took a long
sip of her drink.
Lois’s hand stopped halfway
to the cup and her other hand fluttered up off her midsection. Her eyes went
wide and she stared at her sister. “I…uh,
well, I…”
Florence
laughed and Lois took a breath before continuing.
“How
did you know?”
to be concluded...
to be concluded...
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