Judy Christenberry - The Texan's Tiny Dilemma

“What? She never mentioned a change of school to me. Isn’t that strange?”

“Pete thinks it’s because we keep trying to interfere in her life. He warns me about that all the time,” Tommie said with irritation as she parked her car at Teresa’s small but well-tended house.

“He just doesn’t understand,” Tabitha said, getting out of the car. “We’ve always taken care of Teresa. I know she’s only six minutes younger than me but…it’s just like you taking charge though you’re only two minutes older than me.”

“Well, I’m glad we’re going to see her today, so we can figure out what’s wrong.”

They walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the front door.

Teresa swung open the door, wearing jeans and a long work shirt over a white T-shirt. “Come in,” Teresa said as she hugged her sisters. She’d missed them the past few weeks.

“How are you?” Tommie asked.

“Fine,” Teresa said as she turned to go to the kitchen.

“You look like you’ve put back on the weight you lost,” Tabitha commented. “We were concerned.”

Ignoring the remark Teresa waved them toward the breakfast table that was set for three. “Have a seat. I’ll explain everything to you.”

Taking the homemade quiche from the oven, she cut it into slices and put it on individual plates next to a fresh garden salad. After she’d poured iced tea for all of them, she sat down at the table, only to find both her sisters staring at her.

“I have a lot to confess,” Teresa began. “First of all, I’m not teaching.”

That revelation took both her sisters by surprise.

“Not at all? We’d discovered you weren’t at your old school, but—” Tommie’s voice trailed off.

“How are you supporting yourself?” Tabitha asked, getting to the bottom line quickly.

“I’m living on my savings. I took a sabbatical from my job so I could devote myself to my writing.”

“So you invited us here to tell us you sold your children’s book?” Tommie asked, hoping for the best.

“No, not yet. My other piece of news is…is a little more dramatic. You see, I’m pregnant.”

Stunned silence filled the room and echoed in her ears for a full minute.

Finally Tommie asked, “Are you getting married?”

“And to whom?” Tabitha wanted to know.

Teresa stared at the quiche rather than her sisters. “No, I’m not going to marry.”

“Why not?” Tommie asked.

“Because the baby and I are a family. We don’t need anyone else. Other than you two and Mom, of course.”

“But I don’t understand,” Tommie said. “You loved this man enough to make a baby, but you don’t want to marry him?”

“Things didn’t work out, Tommie. It happens.” She rose from her seat and did some busy work at the counter. Then she turned back to her sister. “Look, I didn’t want to come to your house this evening and shock you in front of other people.”

“Do you need anything?” Tabitha asked. “What can we do to help?”

“I didn’t tell you because I needed your help. I told you because I wanted you to know…and to share in my happiness.”

“Oh, we do, sweetie,” Tommie said, getting up to hug her sister.

Tabitha did the same.

When they returned to their chairs, Tommie asked in an offhand fashion, “How far along are you?”

“About four months.”

“It was that guy you were dating when I got married!” Tommie exclaimed. “I never liked him.”

“You didn’t date for very long, did you?” Tabitha asked. “I only saw you with him a couple of times.”

“No, it—” Teresa caught herself, then, her stomach sinking, she covered up her stammer. “No, it didn’t work out.” She picked up her fork and dug into her food like a lumberjack on his lunch hour. “Let’s eat, before our quiche gets cold.”

It was with reluctance that Jim Schofield approached his brother’s home that evening. The dinner wasn’t just for the Schofields, but also for Tommie’s family. Would Teresa be there? He wondered. It’d been months since he’d seen her, and he was filled with mixed feelings at seeing her now.

Before he could gather himself, his mother, whom he’d driven there, reached the front door ahead of him and rang the bell. Evelyn Schofield was so pleased with Pete’s marriage and considered herself lucky to have such a thoughtful daughter-in-law. He was grateful for Tommie, too; she now helped out with Evelyn’s demands, freeing him from responsibility.

Pete opened the door with an odd look on his face. “Come on in. We were beginning to worry about you. You’re the last ones to arrive.”

Jim apologized before his mother could complain. “I got held up at the office.”

“No problem. My spaghetti isn’t done yet.”

“You’re the chef tonight?”

“Yeah, but Tommie picked up a cake from that great new bakery, so you’re safe for part of the evening.” Pete laughed.

“I’m not worried,” Jim assured him. Then he asked the question that had been on his mind all day. “Is Teresa here? I…haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Uh, neither had we,” Pete said, staring at his brother as if wanting to say more.

Jim wondered what the odd look was for. But when he stepped into the family room and heard the words Teresa and pregnant, he knew.

Teresa Tyler was pregnant.

He stared at her in disbelief. If she was, it was early in her pregnancy; she wasn’t showing much.

His mother didn’t hesitate to state the obvious. “Teresa, you’re pregnant! Congratulations!” she exclaimed. “I hadn’t heard that you’d gotten married.”

Teresa graciously accepted and returned the woman’s hug. “Oh, hello, Evelyn. No, I haven’t gotten married, but I am expecting. It’s getting rather difficult to hide,” Teresa responded with a smile, though her cheeks reddened like two ripe tomatoes.

“Well, where’s the father of the baby?”

Jim knew his mother was embarrassing Teresa, with her inquisition but he was too interested in the answer to that question to interrupt.

Yes, just where was the father of her baby? He repeated to himself.

“The father and I aren’t…together. I’ll be raising my baby by myself.” Teresa smiled again, but her shoulders held an obvious tension.

“And she’ll have all the help she needs from us,” said Ann Tyler, moving over to hug the youngest of her triplet daughters.

Feeling suddenly compelled to add his encouragement, perhaps to compensate for his mother’s doubts, Jim said, “I’m sure she’ll do fine.” As if thanking him, Teresa glanced his way, met his eyes for a fleeting second, then locked her gaze on the iced tea she held in her hand.

Jim couldn’t help himself from taking a long look at her. Her sleek blond hair was pulled back in her omnipresent braid, and she looked a little peaked. Whether from morning sickness or from the fifty questions, he didn’t know. Against his better judgment he noticed her breasts, fuller now as they readied for the baby she’d soon nurse there. He stopped the mental picture before it started to take shape.

He no longer had a relationship with Teresa, he reminded himself. And that was the way he wanted it to be. Months ago, when his twin brother had first returned to Texas and met Tommie, the real estate agent helping relocate his Boston software firm and executives to Fort Worth, Pete had dragged him along to all kinds of business and social functions, the same functions to which Tommie had brought Teresa. Jim found himself dating Teresa to round out the numbers. But he’d opted out of that situation. Not because of Teresa, who was a beautiful and sweet woman, but because he wasn’t comfortable double-dating with his twin. They’d tried that once before, with disastrous results.