1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [107]
Bracing herself for…she didn’t know what, Gloria squared her shoulders and opened the door.
The two women stared at each other before Joni’s eyes fell to Gloria’s midsection.
Gloria didn’t feel like uttering a bunch of meaningless niceties. “Would you like to come in and talk?” she asked, getting straight to the point. She wondered how Joni knew her name, how she’d found her address. She decided not to ask. Chad could have told her. Or Joni could have followed him. She could have seen Gloria’s name on his cell phone and looked up her address on the internet.
Ultimately it didn’t matter.
Joni hesitated briefly before she responded. “Yes, please.”
Gloria stepped aside and held the door so the other woman could enter.
Joni looked out at the cove from Gloria’s living room window, her hands deep in her coat pockets. “That’s a lovely view.”
“I think so.” She folded her arms, not knowing what to expect. “Would you like something to drink?” She didn’t want to be impolite, although she had the distinct feeling this wasn’t a social call.
“Just water.”
Gloria went into her kitchen, filled a glass and brought it to the living room. Joni had taken a seat on her sofa. When she handed her the tumbler, she saw that the other woman’s hand shook visibly.
Joni took a small sip and then wrapped both hands around the glass. “Chad doesn’t know I’m here.”
Gloria would have been surprised if he had.
“He told me he was stopping by later today. His shift doesn’t end until five, so he won’t be here until almost six and I thought… I hoped maybe the two of us could talk before he arrived.”
“Okay.” Gloria tried to look relaxed, but the tension between her shoulders held her rigid.
“I understand Chad told you about us?”
“He did.” Gloria didn’t elaborate.
“He told me about you, too.”
Gloria nodded.
“And about the baby,” Joni added.
“He’s going to be a good father,” Gloria said. He’d been so caring and thoughtful, and made it clear how much he already loved their baby.
“I think so, too.” Leaning forward, Joni put her glass on the coffee table, taking a moment to position a coaster first. Now that her hands were free she didn’t seem to know what to do with them. She clasped them in her lap and stared down at the carpet.
“Do you love him?” Gloria asked. She wanted to know where the other woman stood before they continued this awkward discussion.
Joni looked up and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m afraid so.”
Gloria felt like crying herself, but struggled to maintain her poise. “I’m afraid I do, too,” she admitted. Funny that she was so willing to tell the other woman how she felt about Chad, but couldn’t tell him. It’d taken her a long time to recognize the depth of her feelings. Now it might be too late.
“You’ve hurt him badly.”
“I wasn’t in a good state of mind… . I regret what happened.”
“The baby, too?” Joni asked.
“No,” Gloria answered. “I’ll never regret the baby.”
Her answer made Joni frown. If anything, it appeared to affect her even more strongly. “I… Chad loves the baby. That’s all he talks about when we’re together, and I suspect he loves you. No, I don’t suspect. I know he does.”
Gloria wasn’t sure how to respond. “Chad and I met when I was at a low point in my life,” Gloria began, feeling she needed to explain. “I’d just lost my adoptive parents. I was an only child and they were both only children, so I had no one. No aunts, no uncles, no cousins. No family. We… Chad and I felt an immediate physical attraction and, well…”
Joni looked away and seemed to be studying the view outside the window. The Bremerton shipyard showed clearly in the distance, with the mothballed aircraft carriers and submarines against the backdrop of a metallic gray sky.
Gloria found her own attention wandering and forced herself to focus on her guest. “I’m not sure why you’re here,” she said.
“I came because I need to know how you feel about Chad.”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it matters a great deal.” Joni picked up the water glass and took one long swallow. “I know what I have to do now.” She set the tumbler down in a decisive