When You Were Young

"Children?"

"You don't think I'm the only one, do you?" Prudence said, laying a hand on her belly. "Heavens, no. Not long after Molly was born there was a baby boom here. Helena had triplets if you can believe it. They're all three going to take after her, I can tell already. Wendell, Annie, and I were there all night to help her deliver. Annie's become quite an accomplished midwife because of it. She's going to help me when it's time."

"How long is that?"

"About a month. What about you?"

"Two months or so."

"I should try to hold it in so we can deliver at the same time. Wouldn't it be great for our children to have the same birthdays?"

"That would be something. Do you have a name picked out?"

"Rodney if it's a boy," Prudence said, her cheeks flushing a bit at this. "Fiona if it's a girl. You?"

"Jeremy if it's a boy. There's some Pryde family tradition about names beginning with a 'J.' Andrea if it's a girl."

Throughout the conversation, Jackie had followed along, one hand on the hem of Samantha's shirt. Now as they passed by the bakery, with its aroma of baking bread, Jackie gave Samantha's shirt a tug. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

"It's all right. Phyllis will let us have some bread," Prudence said. She opened the door to the bakery, ushering them inside. Phyllis had grown heavier over the last eight years and not with pregnancy either. Her face and apron were littered with stains of varying colors from years of baking. When she squinted at Samantha, Jackie pressed tighter to her mother's side. "Look who's back. It's Samantha and her little daughter. They're a bit hungry from the trip over," Prudence said.

"Samantha? I didn't think we'd ever see you again," Phyllis said. "What brings you here?"

"Just thought I'd visit. Show Jackie where her mother came from," Samantha said.

"I just took a loaf out of the oven, but it needs to cool. Let me see what else I got." Phyllis rummaged around the shelves until returning with a bundle wrapped in brown paper. She bent down to tousle Jackie's hair, turning it white in parts with flour. "You're cuter than your mom was at your age. She used to be nothing but a sack of bones. At least you've got a little meat on you." Phyllis pinched a roll of fat beneath Jackie's shirt.

"We'd better get going," Prudence said. "Molly and Wendell are probably waiting for us in the park, unless she forgot to look for him. Do you remember seeing her go past here?"