hristmas Day, the temperature outside Sherilyn’s hospital window was forty degrees. Brightly colored paper and bows littered the floor, and stacks of opened Christmas presents lay under and beside the little tree they had put up last week. Over cocoa and doughnuts, the three of them watched A Christmas Story on the hospital television and took turns feeling the baby kick and move within Sherilyn’s rapidly growing belly.

Adele took photos of Sherilyn and Kendra wearing Santa hats. They gorged themselves on chocolate and candy canes, and she told her sister about how hard it had been to get all the pieces of the changing table and swing together, but she didn’t tell her about Zach. Not yet. Her feelings were too new and confusing, and besides, it couldn’t go on forever. She was leaving when Sherilyn had her baby. She was looking forward to living in her own home again, surrounded by her own stuff and going about her own routines. Now that she was fairly certain her bad-date curse was broken or had run its course, she wanted to get back to living her life, but the thought of dating, of being with anyone but Zach, felt wrong. Her heart shied away from the idea of another man’s arms around her.

In the past two days that he’d been in Austin, he hadn’t called. Of course he was busy with the holiday and his family, but perhaps it was best that he was away. She needed time to herself. Time to think. With her sister in the hospital, taking care of a thirteen-year-old, and spending time with Zach, she needed a break from the emotional roller coaster that was her life here in Cedar Creek.

At four that afternoon, she and Kendra left the hospital. They ate a light dinner, and Adele went to bed. She didn’t wake until seven the next morning. She still felt tired and a little nauseous and guessed all of the excitement and chocolate had caught up with her. As she rolled over to go back to sleep, the telephone rang. For a few unguarded seconds, she thought it might be Zach.

It was the hospital. Sherilyn had just been wheeled into the delivery room. Her blood pressure had skyrocketed and they were taking the baby by caesarean.

“Kendra,” Adele called out as she ran to her niece’s room. “We have to go to the hospital. Your momma’s having the baby.”

They both grabbed up their clothes and dressed as quickly as possible.

“She was fine yesterday,” Kendra said, as frightened tears rolled down her cheeks.

Adele ran every red light on her way to the hospital, but by the time she and Kendra made it to the maternity ward, Harris Morgan had been born and whisked to the neonatal intensive care unit. Kendra sobbed uncontrollably in the tiny waiting room as they waited for Sherilyn to be wheeled to recovery. Adele held her niece and held it together until she finally saw her sister, covered up to her chin in a white sheet. She looked totally drained, and her eyes were red from crying. Kendra laid her head on her mother’s chest, looking very young and scared.

“Are you okay, Momma?” Kendra asked through her tears.

“I’m tired, but I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you needed me,” Adele said, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes.

“You were here when I needed you the most,” Sherilyn said as she rubbed Kendra’s arm. “I don’t know what we would have done without you these past few months, Dele. Thank you.”

Adele smiled. “I’m glad I came.” And it was even the truth.

“Did you see him?” Kendra asked.

Sherilyn looked into Adele’s eyes for several more seconds before she turned her face and spoke against her daughter’s forehead. “He has dark hair just like you. When they delivered him, he started crying. Which is good. He sounded just like a kitten.” She lifted her gaze to Adele, and Adele wiped a tear from her cheek. “No more crying. I’m going to be fine. The baby is going to be fine. We’re all going to be fine.”

Later that day, Kendra and Adele wheeled Sherilyn down to the neonatal intensive care unit, and the three got to stare at Harris in his incubator. He had on a blue knitted cap and the tube to his nasal cannula was taped to his cheeks. He had a temperature probe stuck to his belly and an IV in the back of his tiny hand. The three of them touched his feet and legs, and he opened his eyes to look at them. Then he yawned, as if he’d had a tiring day, which he had, and went back to sleep.

The next three days were a blur of sleeplessness and worry. Sherilyn’s blood pressure slowly lowered, and Harris gained two ounces. Saturday afternoon, Sherilyn was well enough to be discharged, but the baby had to stay until he gained more weight. His lung function was good and improving every day, which had been the biggest worry.

As Adele and Sherilyn packed up Sherilyn’s belongings and waited for the wheelchair to take Sherilyn to the front doors, William Morgan walked into the hospital room. He looked older than Adele remembered. Shorter. His dark hair balding. She was relieved that he hadn’t brought his girlfriend with him.

“If you’ll excuse us,” he said pointedly to Adele in that dismissive way she’d always hated.

Adele looked at her sister. “Do you want me to go?”

Sherilyn shook her head. “Not unless you want to leave.”

Adele smiled and looked at her soon-to-be-ex brother-in-law. She sat on the edge of the bed and folded her arms across her chest. “I’ll stay.”

William frowned.

A tired smile curved Sherilyn’s lips. “Have you seen the baby?” she asked as she shoved her hairbrush into an overnight case. “He looks just like Kendra did.”

“Yes.” William dragged his gaze from Adele. “I’d like to name him after my father.”

“Alvin?” Sherilyn shook her head. “Perhaps that can be his middle name.”

“But my family—”

“His first name is Harris,” Sherilyn interrupted and zipped up the bag. “I already filled out the birth certificate.”

“Without consulting me?”

“You weren’t here.”

“He’s my son.”

“Whom you will see on every other holiday and one month out of each summer. When he is old enough, of course.” A nurse entered with the wheelchair, and Sherilyn smiled. “Ah. Here’s my ride.” Sherilyn waddled across the room and sat. “Could you grab my bag?” she asked Adele.

“Sure.”

“Kendra’s at home making everything nice for me,” Sherilyn told her soon-to-be-former husband. “Give her a call. I’m sure she’d like to see you.”

The nurse wheeled Sherilyn out of the room, and Adele grabbed the bag off the bed. “When you see Kendra, leave the dental assistant at the hotel. Your daughter’s been through a lot and doesn’t need to see your girlfriend.”

William’s gaze narrowed on her as if he suddenly smelled something rotten. “Don’t you tell me what my daughter needs. I know how to take care of Kendra.”

“Oh, and you’ve done such a bang-up job lately.”

“You have no right to lecture me.”

Adele was tired and not feeling well from the stress of the past few days. She had missed the one and only call from Zach the night before, and she was in no mood to take crap from William. “I didn’t run out on my family.”

“You haven’t seen your sister for six years.”

That hit a little close to home. “I might not have visited as much as I should have, but when Sheri needed someone, she called me. I’m the one who’s been holding her hand these past few months while she struggled to save her baby.” She pointed to her chest. “I’m the one who’s been taking care of your teenage daughter. Not you! You turned your back on your family for a piece of barely legal ass. So don’t walk in here and think you can say diddly-shit to me.”

“You never did have any class.”

“And you never did know your position on the food chain,” Adele felt free to point out now that he was no longer family, and Kendra wasn’t around to hear. “You’re a dentist, William. Not a heart surgeon. You replace molars. Not heart valves. For God’s sake, get over yourself.”

Adele stormed out of the door and almost fell over her sister’s feet. “I thought you left,” she said.

Sherilyn smiled. “I thought I should wait in case you needed rescuing from William. But I think William might have needed rescuing from you.” The nurse pushed the wheelchair, and they moved down the hall. Sherilyn reached for Adele’s hand and pointed out with a hint of a smile. “Dentistry is a noble profession, you know.”

“Yeah. I know.”

On the way home from the hospital, they dropped off Sherilyn’s prescriptions at the pharmacy, then Adele drove to the condo and tucked her sister in bed.

“I’m going to go get your prescriptions,” she told Sherilyn as she shoved her arms back into her coat. “Kendra’s in the living room if you need anything.” Her stomach tumbled a bit, and she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I shouldn’t be long.” She grabbed her purse off the bed.

“What’s wrong with you? You look white.”

“Nothing.” She dropped the purse and ran for the bathroom. She hadn’t felt real great for the past few days, but this was the first time she actually threw up. When she was done, she rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth. “Don’t drink after me,” she said as she left the bathroom. “I think I have the flu.”

“How long have you had it?”

“A few days. It kind of comes and goes.” She picked up her purse again. “Mostly it’s bad in the morning when I first get up.”

“Could you be pregnant?”

“For the love of God, no.” She shoved her hand into her purse and grabbed her keys. “You have babies on the brain. I’m not pregnant.”

Her sister’s brow furrowed. “It sounds like morning sickness. I know. I’ve had it twice.”

“Sherilyn, stop. I’m not pregnant. I have an IUD.”

“Interesting. You didn’t say you haven’t been having sex.”

“I didn’t?”

“Have you been seeing someone?”

Adele shrugged.

“Who?”

What did it matter if Sherilyn knew? Zach would be home in a few days, and Sherilyn would see him when they jogged together. If they jogged together. “Zach Zemaitis.”

“The football coach.” Sherilyn’s brows shot up her forehead. “The one who was in all the papers and on the news a few weeks ago?”

“Yeah.”

“Kendra’s friend’s dad?”

“Yeah. He kinda helped me put the baby furniture together.”

“Sounds like he did more than that.” Sherilyn frowned. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. I’m not pregnant.”

“While you’re at the pharmacy, get an e.p.t.”

Adele rolled her eyes and walked out of the bedroom. She counted back to her last period. She was only two weeks…no three weeks late. But she’d been late before and wasn’t worried.

“D id you get it?” Sherilyn called from her bedroom.

“Your pills?” She set the bag on the counter and called back. “Yeah I got ’em.”

“No.” Sherilyn waddled, hunched over with one hand low on her abdomen, into the kitchen. “The pregnancy test.”

“Sheesh. Be quiet. I don’t want Kendra to hear you.”

“William came by and picked her up.” She carefully sat down on a barstool. “Did you get it?”

“Yes, but I only got it to shut you up.” She still wasn’t worried. “I have an IUD. He used a condom.” It had broken once, but what were the chances?

Sherilyn reached into the sack and pulled out the box. She ripped it open and read the instructions. “Hold it in your urine stream for five seconds.” She handed Adele the plastic stick. “It says not to put it up your vagina.”

“Gee. And I was all set to.”

Adele took the stick, went into the bathroom, and came back out a few minutes later. She set the stick on a napkin on the counter across the kitchen and got Sherilyn a glass of water.

“Did you wash your hands?” Sherilyn asked as she eagle-eyed the stick.

“Yes, Mom,” Adele answered as she made toast.

“Eat this and take these,” she said, and handed Sherilyn the toast and medication. She held the stick behind her back for the full two minutes, pulled it in front of her, and stared at a plus sign.

“What does it say?” Sherilyn asked around a bite of toast.

Adele grabbed the instructions and read them. “This one is obviously defective. He wore a condom.”

“Every time?”

“It broke once.”

“Once is all it takes.”

The blood rushed from Adele’s head, and she grabbed her coat and her purse.

“Where are you going?”

“To get another test.” Forty-five minutes later, five more e.p.t sticks were lined up on the table. All of them had positive plus signs in the round windows. Adele’s fingers and toes felt numb, and she felt sicker then she had in days. Her face was hot, and she sat down next to Sherilyn so she wouldn’t pass out and fall on the floor. She still couldn’t believe the results. There had to be a mistake.

Sherilyn waved a hand in front of Adele’s face. “Are you in there.”

“What?” Her voice sounded weak and like it was coming from a long, dark tunnel.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re seeing anyone?”

“Because I don’t know how serious it is.”

“It just got real serious.”

“You’re not helping.” She covered her cheeks with her hands. “This is a nightmare. I cannot be pregnant.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know! I just found out.”

“You have to tell him.”

“Maybe I’m not pregnant.”

Sherilyn pointed to the tests. “You flunked six tests.”

“Maybe that was a bad batch,” she said desperately. “It could happen.”

“No, it couldn’t.”

Her mind raced and tumbled and thoughts slammed into each other. “Maybe Zach won’t notice.” She didn’t have to wonder how Zach would react. She remembered the night of the broken condom and she knew.

Her sister looked at her like Kendra did sometimes. Like just the sound of Adele’s voice was painfully robbing her of IQ points. “He’ll notice. You have to tell him.”

“He won’t be back until Wednesday. I have until then to figure out what I’m going to do.”

Sherilyn reached for her hand and squeezed her cold fingers. “How do you feel about him?”

“Zach?” She shook her head like she didn’t know, but she did. “I love Zach,” she whispered, saying it out loud for the first time. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, but I did. I could feel it happening, and I knew I should stop it. But I couldn’t.”

“Maybe everything will work out.”

“No.” Tears stung the backs of her eyes. “It won’t. He doesn’t love me.” And he definitely didn’t want a child with her. She shook her head again as tears slipped down her cheeks. This couldn’t be happening. Whatever feelings he did have for her were not going to change.

She wiped her cheeks and her hands fell to the table as a thought popped into her head. Good Lord, was this part of the curse? A bad date that ended in pregnancy? And how crazy was she for thinking it?

Sherilyn stood and patted Adele’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of you like you took care of me.” She took a deep breath and her eyes rounded. “Wow, that pain pill just kicked in, and I’m feeling funky.”