Like once every two weeks, I have the ol’ Palmetto gang over to my house for coffee. Usually, it’s Dawn Rice, Rochelle Peyton, Brenda, Cousin Vickie Dearest, and Siobhan O’Hanlon. Tonight, it’s Brenda and Dawn.
“This boy’s too nice,” I say, snapping a Stella D’Oro anisette toast crescent in half. “He’s cheerful, pleasant, gentlemanly…and deserving of every penny he gets in gratuities. I don’t trust any teenager that happens to be that nice.”
“What did you say his name was?” Dawn asks.
“Teal.”
Dawn giggles. “Who would name a boy Teal?”
“His mom, I guess. I didn’t see her when I dropped him off last night.”
“You drove him home?” Brenda inquires.
“He didn’t have a ride. He’s over on Nottingham, near George Dye. Not far.”
“You’re a soft touch, Georgie.” Dawn pulls out an Italian bakery cookie from a box on the table. “He a good server?”
“He’s great, he’s only seventeen, and like, he’s a natural.”
“You believe it?” Dawn asks of Brenda. “We’ve been replaced by a seventeen-year-old boy. What’s the world coming to?”
“Beats being replaced by a microchip.” I bite into the anisette toast. “How’s Abbie doing?” Abbie’s Dawn’s seven-year-old boy. He kind of went into a protective shell after his father’s suicide last year, while the event had little apparent effects on his younger twin brothers, Zack and Zeke. Dawn has been dating some guy the past few months; the twins have taken to him, and Abbie’s more or less avoided him.
“Abbie’s fine, he’s doing better in school. I think he’s coming back to life. Slowly.”
“That’s good.”
“He wants to know if you’re gonna take him down to the swimming hole again.”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“I want you both to know something.”
“What?” Brenda asks, sipping her cup of Earl Grey. “Don’t tell me you’re becoming a registered Democrat.”
“Um…” Dawn sighs, and appears to be drawing strength.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m pregnant.”
“You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not. Test came back positive on Tuesday. I told Chaz about it yesterday. He was kinda taken aback.” Chaz is the new guy; he’s with Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
“Wedding in the future?”
“I don’t know, Bren. Maybe, maybe not.”
“Uh,” I say slowly, “your family doesn’t look like the type to be accepting that stuff, right?”
“At this point, I really haven’t decided. And it’s my choice. Right now, I’m kind of focused on having this baby. And, it’s a girl, I’m sure of it.”
“How?” Brenda asks.
“I just do. Her name’s gonna be Ruth.”
“I see,” I remark, pouring myself more coffee. “Keeping in the spirit of biblical names.”
“Yep.” Dawn named her children Abijah, Zachariah, and Ezekial. Ruth certainly fits in. “I always loved biblical names, so it’s Ruth.”
“What if it’s a boy, though?” Brenda presses.
“It’s gonna be a girl,” Dawn insists. “But, if I AM wrong, it’ll be Luke.”
“One syllable,” Brenda says, making herself more comfortable in my recliner. “That’s good.”
“Congratulations,” I say, getting up to hug her.
“Thanks.”
“Well, it’s yet another chapter,” Brenda says. “Let’s hope it’s a good one…”
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