Circle of Friends, Part 2 Read Online Free Page B

literally.
    â€œThere should be more rules,” he said later, when they were in the car driving home.
    â€œLike a checklist?” Noelle asked.
    â€œExactly. It’s day thirty of your baby’s life. Here are all the things you need to do.”
    She laughed. “Dev, it can’t be like that. We’re talking about people, not an assembly line. Everyone is different.”
    â€œWhy do they have to be? Rules would help. It’s just the word you object to. What if I said ‘guidelines’?”
    â€œI’m not sure it makes a difference. Besides, we’re going to have a long time before we have to worry about anything but midnight feedings and changing diapers.” She touched her stomach. “I’m barely showing.”
    She wasn’t taking this seriously, but then she didn’t have his track record.
    â€œI want more information,” he said. “When we get home, I want to go online and see what I can find out.”
    â€œBut it’s late,” she said. “I’m tired.”
    â€œYou go to bed. I’ll be along in a while.”
    Her silence told him she wasn’t happy with his decision. He thought about explaining, but took the coward’s way out and didn’t.
    He couldn’t do anything to help Jimmy, but with a little luck and a lot of determination, he could keep history from repeating itself with Jimmy’s child.
    * * *
    N OELLE HAD BEEN looking forward to the Sunday picnic at her parents’ house all week. The day was sunny and warm and she’d brought two kinds of salad.
    Everything had changed in the past couple of weeks. She wanted to share the information with her mom, but knew that was impossible. Not without first revealing the real reason she’d married Dev, and Noelle wasn’t ready to do that yet. Or maybe ever.
    â€œWe’re here,” she called as they walked through the empty house and out into the backyard. “Hi!”
    Noelle looked out at the crowd. Her parents were there, of course, along with a couple of neighbors. Her sisters had dates instead of girlfriends, except for Tiffany, who sat on a lounge chair by the pool, reading.
    â€œYou made it,” her mother said, crossing the patio and kissing them both, then taking the salad bowl from Dev. “Bob is dying for another guy to talk to. Please go rescue him.”
    â€œI will. Thanks.”
    Dev smiled at Noelle, then walked over to her father. The two men shook hands.
    â€œHow are you?” her mother asked, linking arms with her and leading her into the kitchen. “I’m still getting used to having you gone.”
    â€œI know,” Noelle said as she set her bowl on the counter. “I’m still getting used to living somewhere else.”
    Her mother opened the refrigerator and made room. “Hmmm, I might buy that, if you weren’t so happy. I swear, Noelle, I’ve never seen you look so...” She straightened and studied her daughter. “Content.”
    â€œI’m happy,” Noelle said honestly, knowing she’d felt things for Dev she’d never felt before. “I love my life.”
    â€œThen I’m happy, too. I’ll admit I was a little nervous when you ran off and got married. It was so unlike you.”
    â€œI know, Mom. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you or Dad.”
    â€œWe weren’t hurt. Just surprised. But it’s worked out for the best and that’s all I could hope for.”
    Tiffany walked into the kitchen. “I’m bored,” she announced with all the pain inherent in a moody fifteen-year-old.
    â€œI told you to invite some friends,” her mother said.
    â€œI hate that we have to talk about how something happened in our week that changed us. It’s stupid.” She sighed heavily. “Why do there have to be so many rules?”
    Noelle had always felt she and her sisters stood against their parents, but suddenly she