Page 32 of Bluebell Promises

At the beginning of September, Juliet threw a party at her place to celebrate Sophie and Lily returning to college, and Danica returning to school. Wren donned a loose-fitting dress and baked oatmeal cookies for the event, dotted with raisins and chocolate chips. Ivy planned to meet everyone there after closing up the flower shop, so Wren walked the eight blocks to where Juliet now lived with her boyfriend, Theo, and her daughter. There was a touch of autumn to the air, although the sidewalks steamed from the heat of the earlier afternoon.

When Wren arrived, Juliet threw open the door and wrapped Wren in a hug. By now, all of Wren’s sisters knew about the pregnancy, although they hadn’t shared the news with anyone else. Wren reckoned it was nearly time to pass along to her nieces and nephew the fact that they were going to have a new cousin sooner rather than later. It had been a little while since Ivy accused her of wanting to abandon her baby in Bluebell Cove. Things felt a little brighter, if no less confusing.

“You’re the first one here,” Juliet said, guiding Wren into the sunlit kitchen, where Wren set out her cookies and accepted a glass of nonalcoholic wine.

“Did you buy this for me?” Wren asked, smiling.

“I figured you’d want a little fun.” Juliet winked.

Wren grimaced at the tart flavor. It didn’t taste very much like a wine.

“Ivy mentioned you had to take the dog back?” Juliet asked, her back turned as she made a big bowl of guacamole.

“Yeah. But you should have seen how happy this old woman was to have him back,” Wren said, her heart still full after her meeting with Nelly.

“Aw.” Juliet set down her knife and made a pouty face.

“Do you remember her?” Wren asked. “Nelly Winston. She said that Mom used to bring us over to tend to her garden. Ivy says she has vague memories.”

Juliet considered this, scraping a mountain of red onion into the bowl. “Maybe,” she said. “I remember the smells, I think. I remember eating so many berries that my stomach nearly exploded.”

Wren laughed. “I wish I could remember. But it was bizarre. Nelly looked at me and immediately called me Mom’s name.”

Juliet’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. I would have freaked out.”

Just then, there was a crash and a bang from down the hall. Juliet stopped chopping and rushed for the hall. Wren was hot on her heels.

“Who else is home?” she asked.

“Just Danica,” Juliet murmured, panic in her eyes.

They reached Danica’s room, where Juliet knocked and knocked. “Sweetie?” she called. “Can you let me in? Please?”

At this, Danica burst into awful, soul-aching tears. Wren’s heart went out to her.

“Come on, honey. Open up,” Juliet said gently.

Finally, Danica stomped over to the door and threw it open. Her face was a violent color of red, and she was sobbing. “I don’t understand!” she screamed.

At this show of panic and terror, Wren understood that it had to be about a guy.

Wren remembered last year, how Danica had somehow paired up with a guy on the internet. They’d chatted endlessly and even arranged to meet up somewhere. Danica had gotten arrested? Had that happened? Wren couldn’t pull all the pieces together. But since then, Danica had had a cute little high school romance with that boy. Juliet had come around on him.

But high school loves weren’t meant to last forever.

Danica collapsed on her bed, sobbing. “He met someone else. He met someone else.” She couldn’t stop saying it, as though she were trying to drill it into her mind.

“Oh, sweetie.” Juliet sat on her bed and pulled her daughter’s head into her lap. She traced Danica’s cheeks and forehead with the tips of her fingers. “Oh, honey. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

Danica sobbed and sobbed. Wren stood helplessly by the door, unable to pull herself away. Listening to Danica, she was reminded of herself back in Greece, pregnant and alone and waiting to hear from Angelos.

“Did you suspect something like this was happening?” she asked.

Danica let out another sob. “He’s been distant,” she said. “He said he was just busy. He has a job this summer. I mean, we both do.” Danica was working at the ice cream parlor downtown. “But he was working more and more, and working late, and yeah. I thought maybe we didn’t have as much to say to each other lately. But I couldn’t have imagined…”

“Honey, it’s awful,” Juliet breathed. “Nothing can get you around your first heartbreak. Nothing. But we’re going to pull you through it, all right? What do you want? Ice cream?”

“Ice cream sounds okay,” Danica whispered.