Page 35 of The Lookback

I grab the armrest and try to remain calm through yet another miserable contraction.

“How fast are these supposed to be coming?” Helen asks. “Because it feels like she’s contracting an awful lot.”

“Maybe drive a little faster,” Abbys says.

But of course, that’s when it starts to snow.

10

MANDY

Almost as fast as everyone shows up, they all start to disperse. Ethan takes his siblings, little Althea, and Beth, and they load right back up in the car, leaving a huge mess on my counter.

David—noticeably not invited to the hospital either—blinks a few times and says, “I guess I’ll head for the resort and make sure my parents got settled in. Maybe I should get dinner and take it to the hospital for everyone?”

“I’m sure they’d appreciate that,” I say. What I don’t say is,Now get out of my house, because you weren’t invited.I’m a little proud of myself for exercising restraint.

“Well, I’m not leaving,” Amanda says, the moment David walks out the door.

“Me either,” Maren says. “You cannot end the story like that.” She folds her arms.

“But Abby wants to know what happens, too,” Emery says. “And she’s with Donna.”

“How did we wind up with a goody two shoes like you?” Maren asks.

“Just tell us what happened,” Amanda says. “We’ll fill Abby in later.”

“Don’t you need to get to the hospital too?” I ask. “Donna’s your friend.”

“Sure,” Amanda says. “Grab your bag. You can talk while I drive.”

I roll my eyes, but she’s not totally wrong. We both ought to go.

“Me too,” Maren says. “I’m coming.”

“To the hospital?” Amanda asks. “You’ll be stuck there?—”

But Maren already has her bag in hand, and she’s walking toward the door. “Let’s go. Once we’re in the car, she won’t have a single thing to distract her from the story.”

Unfortunately, she’s right. Once we’re in the car, there’s no way to put them off. I feel Maren and Emery’s eyes on the back of my head like a gun pressed there. Even Amanda keeps glancing my way as she puts the car in drive. “Spill,” she finally says.

* * *

“I’ll make you a deal,” I say.

“A deal?” Denise asks. “What are you talking about?”

“People only know who they voted for,” I say. “They have no way of knowing who anyone else voted for, so how about this?”

Denise frowns.

“I’ll vote for one of them, and you’ll make one little change for me.”

“No,” Denise says. “That’s not how this works.”

I shrug. “Alright, then I’ll continue to abstain.”

“You have to pick one of them.”

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