Sharon Sala - The Way to Yesterday

“It’s fine if you’ve had a hand in the decision to be a parent,” Phyllis said.

The smile froze on Daniel’s face.

“Mother, I’m going to chalk that up to the stress you were under tonight. But I better not ever hear you say another denigrating word to Mary or about her…do you understand?”

Phyllis paled. “I didn’t—”

“Yes, you did,” Daniel said. “And Mary didn’t tell me. I heard you myself, remember?” Then he looked at both of his parents and sighed. “She didn’t get pregnant…we did. And I couldn’t have been happier. I have been in love with Mary almost from the first date. I’d already put a down payment on an engagement ring when she told me she was pregnant. It didn’t change anything I’d planned except the date.”

Phyllis looked stunned. “But you never said…I didn’t know that—”

“Mom…I was twenty-six and long past telling you everything that went on in my life. The fact that I introduced you to Mary on our second date should have been warning enough that I was serious. How many other girls had I brought home before her?”

Phyllis frowned. “None.”

“I rest my case.”

She looked at Mike and then sighed. “And I apologize. I was wrong.”

“Fine…but I’m not the one who deserves the apology, am I?”

Phyllis stifled a groan. The last thing she wanted to do was face her daughter-in-law with this guilt. But she’d already lost a lot this night. She didn’t want to lose what was left of her family as well.

“I’ll tend to it tomorrow.”

Daniel gave her a cool look. “And I hope with more meaning than you just implied.”

Phyllis had the good grace to blush.

Mary woke up on the sofa with the first rays of morning sun shining in her eyes. The last thing she remembered was sitting beside Daniel and—

Oh lord! Mike and Phyllis were here!

She sat up with a jerk and then jumped to her feet. What must they think?

When she dashed into the kitchen and found it neat and gleaming, she groaned. Another mark against her. Phyllis would find a way to insinuate how Daniel had to do all the work. She pivoted quickly and started down the hall, expecting the doors to open and see accusing fingers pointed in her direction. Instead, she was met with the soft, but familiar, sounds of muted snores from the spare bedroom.

Thankful that her in-laws were still asleep, she peeked into her bedroom. Their bed was empty and she could hear the shower running. Daniel was up and getting ready for work. His diligence at the law office was starting to pay off and she knew he didn’t want to give anyone an excuse to deny him a future partnership.

With a small sigh of relief, she moved across the hall to the nursery and pushed the door inward. Hope was lying on her back, waving her arms at the Mother Goose mobile hanging over her crib.

“Good morning, pretty girl,” Mary whispered.

The baby turned toward the sound of her mother’s voice and started to squeal.

Mary laughed as she picked Hope up and then laid her down on the changing table.

“A dry diaper and a warm bottle, in that order, little lady. How does that sound?”

Hope squinched her face into a tiny grimace and squeaked in disapproval when Mary began unsnapping the legs on her one-piece pajamas.

“Oh, it can’t be all that bad,” Mary crooned, as she deftly cleaned the baby and fastened a new diaper in place. “I’ll hurry. I promise. Okay?”

A couple of snaps later and Hope was good to go. Mary picked her up, cradling her against her chest as she walked out the door, cherishing the feel of baby curls under her chin as well as the satin-smooth texture of Hope’s delicate skin.

She met Daniel in the hall, and to her surprise, he was wearing sweats and a T-shirt, rather than his usual suit.

“Daniel, you’re going to be late.”

“I’m staying home today. I’ve already called in.”

Mary felt a small surge of panic. “Is that okay?”

He knew her fear stemmed from more than worry about his job, but there was nothing much he could do other than what he’d already done.

“It’s more than okay,” he said. “They were very sympathetic to what happened to Mom and Dad. I had no pending court cases and the paralegal is still gathering research for that brief that’s due next week, so my work will not suffer.” Then he wrapped his arms around Mary and Hope and gave both of them a quick kiss. “Besides, I’d rather spend the day with my two best girls than go sift through the constant mess of our judicial system.”

Mary nodded, but the frown on her face stayed in place as they walked toward the kitchen.

“You shouldn’t have let me sleep last night. What must your parents have thought?”

“That you were exhausted and that you make damned good coffee cake.”

She paused. “Really?”

He smiled and took Hope out of her arms. “Yes, really. Now go heat up Miss Thing’s bottle. I’ll feed her while you make us some coffee, okay?”

Mary’s heart swelled with love as she handed the baby to Daniel. Their dark hair and stubborn chins were so identical it was almost comical.

“Okay, and I think I should start breakfast. Your parents probably have a lot to deal with today and won’t want to be delayed.”

“Honey…take it easy,” he said. “My parents are still asleep and there are no deadlines to be met. Not in this house. Not today.”

She smiled and nodded, then took a bottle out of the refrigerator and began heating it as Daniel sat down in the window seat. Bracing his long legs against the other side of the window frame, he laid the baby down in his lap. When she stretched and then began kicking him in the stomach, he laughed. It occurred to him as he watched Mary busying herself at the sink that he was quite possibly the luckiest man alive. He thought back to yesterday—to all the turmoil that had been in their lives and how close he’d come to killing himself and Hope. If Mary hadn’t thrown herself on the hood of the car, he wouldn’t have stopped, and if he hadn’t stopped, he would have backed right into the speeding driver and the police cruiser that was in pursuit. As it was, two men had died horrible deaths, and they’d been spared.

It was still difficult for him to accept that his mother had been so mean to Mary. What was even worse was that Mary had been afraid to tell him. He tickled the little roll of fat under Hope’s baby chin and then looked up at his wife.

“Mary?”

The tremor in Daniel’s voice made Mary turn abruptly, thinking something was wrong with Hope. But the baby was momentarily pacified by the sunlight coming through the trees outside the window.

“What?”

“I love you.”

Emotion hit her like a fist to the gut.

“Oh, Daniel…I love you, too.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Do you understand?”

Mary sighed, unaware that her shoulders slumped slightly in relief. But Daniel saw it and knew that his decision to stay home today as a buffer between his mother and his wife had been wise.

“Yes, I understand,” Mary said, then lifted Hope’s bottle out of the water and dried it off before testing a few drops on her wrist. “It’s ready,” she said, and brought it to him.

Daniel lifted his mouth for a kiss, which she happily supplied, then groaned softly when he refused to relinquish the connection.

She knew what he wanted and the thought of lying beneath his beautiful hard body made her ache. But with their unexpected houseguests just down the hall, what they both wanted was definitely not going to happen. Finally, it was Mary who pulled back.

“Daniel…we can’t,” she whispered. “Your parents…”

He frowned as he took the bottle and poked it into Hope’s eager little mouth.