Coffee Klatch by Lorrie McCabe

Author:Lorrie McCabe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2024-05-20T18:52:55+00:00

Betty’s Thanksgiving came and went in a blur. For a week, she mulled over the information she now possessed. She didn’t share it with anyone, not even Bob. From her conversation with Jane in September, she figured the other neighbors had no idea that Norma had an abortion before she married. The others were all satisfied with the vague medical issue Norma had mentioned as the reason for her infertility. Betty guessed that only Lillian, Dorothy, and Norma’s parents knew the truth. Betty could not fathom that Gordon had any idea his wife had partaken in an illegal procedure after participating in an extramarital affair. She knew no woman would ever confide in a husband about such a squalid past.

It was these thoughts of Gordon, blissfully unaware of his wife’s past transgressions, that pushed Betty out of her state of rumination and finally into a planned course of action. Betty liked Gordon and thought he was a decent and honest man. She’d never forgotten that he’d offered information about the GI Bill for Bob or that he’d cared for Robby during her miscarriage. She felt strongly that Gordon had a right to know about his wife’s past before he embarked on an adoption with her. What if it made him want a divorce? He should have a chance to do so before a child becomes involved. For his sake, Betty decided she had to tell him what she knew.

Betty’s unexpected opportunity came on an unusually mild Saturday morning in December, exactly two weeks after the baby shower. Bob had just left to take Robby to the local barbershop to get both much-needed haircuts. Betty was outside by the narrow strip of a vegetable garden she kept along the side of her house next to her kitchen door. Although Betty loathed most yard work, she had found, to her surprise, that she’d enjoyed maintaining a little garden of tomatoes and herbs over the past summer. She had gathered the last of her crops in October but had never had the chance to clean out the dead plants and debris.

As she started her raking, she heard a male voice shout a friendly greeting from the vicinity of her front door.

“I’m out here at the side of the house,” called Betty.

Gordon Lewis walked around the corner of her house and into her view. He had on blue jeans and a heavy flannel plaid work shirt. He greeted her warmly and asked if Bob was at home.

“No, he’s at the barbershop with Robby. I’m just getting my garden cleaned out since it’s such a lovely day. It looks like you’re dressed for outdoor chores, too.”

“Yeah, Nor is waiting for her mother to pick her up so they can do more baby shopping, and I’m going to try to pull out that dead shrub we have in the front yard. I was wondering if I could borrow Bob’s pickaxe.”

“I’m sure Bob wouldn’t mind. I guess it’s in the garden shed out back.”

Gordon walked past Betty, heading for the backyard.

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