Danielle Steel: The Apartment

“Congratulations,” Claire said, startled. “When is it due?”

“October.” Claire could figure out the rest. They’d have to move, and she and her mother would have the loft to themselves. She could run the business from there. She could afford the rent alone now, but she would miss her friends, and it was shocking and sad how fast things had changed. Maybe Abby would come back in a year, as she said she would, but Claire wasn’t counting on that either. And by the summer, she’d be living at the loft alone with her mother.

As May progressed, Prunella was driving Sasha crazy. The invitations had gone out, engraved by Cartier. They were very simple and elegant. They had chosen the menu, with a tasting at the apartment, and tried five different wedding cakes from three wedding bakers. And Max was giving them the wine as a wedding gift, and the champagne.

Prunella had recommended a photographer and videographer, which she insisted they needed. She had chosen lace tablecloths and linen napkins for them at Sasha’s request, and she had her own supply of candelabras, and the caterer was bringing the crystal, silver, and china. They had toured the penthouse on Fifth Avenue, where they were giving the reception, and they had found a small church near the penthouse that was willing to do a six o’clock wedding. The reception was due to start at eight. And Sasha had managed to decide on all of it, in her meager time off from work. They hadn’t had a weekend off since they’d gone to Atlanta in March.

And she had found the dress entirely by accident, in a magazine she was reading in the doctors’ lounge. It was a simple white satin dress with a lace coat over it that she could take off at the reception, with a lace veil. The coat had a beautiful long train. She didn’t have time to try it on, so Valentina went to the fitting for her, and Sasha fell in love with it when she saw it on a cell phone photo her sister sent her, although Valentina thought it was boring.

“Why don’t you get something sexy, with some cleavage and a low back?” The dress was perfect for Sasha. And the bridesmaids’ dresses were a warm beige color, simple strapless gowns, which Valentina said would have looked better in red. Everything was tasteful and simple. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were going to be small beige orchids, and Sasha’s lily of the valley. She had thought about having her half-sisters as flower girls, but it would have caused a war with her mother, which just wasn’t worth it to her.

The men were going to wear black tie, and Alex was wearing white tie and tails. And Helen Scott had told her she was wearing navy blue. Muriel hadn’t decided, but had seen an emerald green dress she liked, or possibly a gold one.

Amazingly, everything was on track, and Prunella had turned out to be as organized and efficient as Oliver had been told. Sasha couldn’t stand her, but had to admit she was doing a great job. In spite of that, Sasha was nervous about all the details coming together on the big day. There was so much that could go wrong. Helen kept offering to help her, but Prunella seemed to have it all in control.

A month before the wedding, Sasha’s roommates planned a bachelorette dinner for her. She couldn’t get enough time off for a weekend, but the dinner sounded like fun. Abby had promised to fly in from L.A., and Claire’s mother was invited too. They were having it at Soho House. And Sasha even had a dress for that, and a short sexy black one for the rehearsal dinner Alex’s parents were giving the night before the wedding at the Metropolitan Club, to which they belonged through their sister club in Chicago.

Her hair was coming in blond again, although it was still short, to get rid of the brown dye. She was going to get it trimmed before the wedding, by a hairdresser Valentina had recommended. And Alex was having his bachelor party the same night as hers, in a private room in a nightclub downtown.

The bachelorette dinner was a big success. Abby was staying at the apartment with them. Claire had cleared the shoe boxes off her bed. And Abby confessed during dinner that she was dating Josh, and she loved his boys. And Morgan talked about the baby. They were already looking for an apartment, and she wanted to move that summer before she got too huge. Sasha and Alex hadn’t found one but were apartment hunting too. And they only wanted something short term. Sasha was planning to transfer her residency to the University of Chicago when Alex finished his. It appealed to both of them to establish their practices in his native city. And Sasha really liked that idea a lot, and living close to Alex’s brother and parents.

Everyone discussed their plans, the wedding, the baby, Abby’s movie. There was so much to talk about.

The women were all relaxed and happy when they got back to the apartment, and Claire looked at her mother ruefully.

“I guess it’s just going to be you and me here, Mom. Everyone’s moving out.” It still made Claire sad when she thought about it. Her mother didn’t say anything for a minute, and the others had all gone to bed, after a lot of champagne. Only Morgan wasn’t drinking, but she had gone to bed too. Sarah took Claire’s hand in her own with a sheepish expression, as they sat on the couch at two in the morning.

“I have some plans too. You don’t really need me here anymore. The business is taking off. You’ve got Claudia to help you, and she’s very good. And you know how to run this business without me. I’ve just been along for the fun and the ride, and to support you in the beginning. I’m still going to back you, but I think it’s time for me to go home.”

“To San Francisco?” Claire looked stunned. “I thought you love it here.”

“I do. And it’s been a fantastic five months. It’s been the best thing that ever happened to me, other than having you. Your father and I have been talking. He’s really been trying. He stopped drinking two months ago, and he wants to start traveling and doing some things together. It may not be perfect, but I love him and we’d both like to try, and see how it goes.” Claire looked both happy and sad. She had so loved having her mother there with her. It had filled a huge void for her, and given her an opportunity she would never have had otherwise. She was eternally grateful for that. And now she’d be living in the loft alone. It felt suddenly too grown up.

“When are you going?” Claire looked wistful. Her mother gave her a hug.

“I thought after the wedding might be a good time, in a month.” Claire nodded. It was a lot to think about, but she could see that her mother thought it was the right thing to do. And her eyes lit up when she talked about doing things with Jim. And Claire knew she couldn’t hang on to her mother forever. The past five months had been a wonderful reprieve from the blows that had come before that.

“You know, you need to think a little more about getting out too.” They both knew what she meant, but Claire always said she wasn’t ready. It had been six months since George had spun her around and dumped her, and she hadn’t recovered yet. Her mother thought she should try. All Claire wanted to do was work, which had been her style before George too, and now even more so. But if her father could change, Claire wondered if she should too. It was a thought.

Claire and Sarah went to bed that night, in the bed that they shared, and it made Claire sad to think about her mother leaving. She turned over on her side in the dark and saw that Sarah was awake. “I’m going to miss you, Mom,” she said softly. “Thank you for everything you did. I couldn’t have done it without you. Everything had gone so wrong, and then you fixed it with the biggest gift of my life.”