Enter her father. Her dad, a successful real estate developer and general contractor, was twelve years older than his wife when they’d married, and if not as rich as some, he was certainly well-off. Still, Gabby could remember studying the wedding photos of her parents as they stood outside the church and wondering how two such different people could have ever fallen in love. While her mom loved the pheasant at the country club, Dad preferred biscuits and gravy at the local diner; while Mom never walked as far as the mailbox without her makeup, Dad wore jeans, and his hair was always a bit disheveled. But love each other they did-of this, Gabby had no doubt. In the mornings, she would sometimes catch her parents in a tender embrace, and never once had she heard them argue. Nor did they have separate beds, like so many of Gabby’s friends’ parents, who often struck her as business partners more than lovers. Even now, when she visited, she would find her parents snuggled up on the couch together, and when her friends marveled, she would simply shake her head and admit that for whatever reason, they were perfectly suited to each other.
Much to her mother’s endless disappointment, Gabby, unlike her three honey blond sisters, had always been more like her father. Even as a child, she preferred overalls to dresses, adored climbing in trees, and spent hours playing in the dirt. Every now and then, she would traipse behind her father at a job site, mimicking his movements as he checked the seals on newly installed windows or peeked into boxes that had recently arrived from Mitchell’s hardware store. Her dad taught her to bait a hook and to fish, and she loved riding beside him in his old, rumbly truck with its broken radio, a truck he’d never bothered to trade in. After work, they would either play catch or shoot baskets while her mom watched from the kitchen window in a way that always struck Gabby as not only disapproving, but uncomprehending. More often than not, her sisters could be seen standing beside her, their mouths agape.
While Gabby liked to tell people about the free spirit she’d been as a child, in reality she’d ended up straddling both her parents’ visions of the world, mainly because her mom was an expert when it came to the manipulative power of motherhood. As she grew older, Gabby acquiesced more to her mother’s opinions about clothing and the proper behavior for ladies, simply to avoid feeling guilty. Of all the weapons in her mother’s arsenal, guilt was far and away the most effective, and Mom always knew just how to use it. Because of a raised eyebrow here and a little comment there, Gabby ended up in cotillion classes and dance lessons; she dutifully learned to play the piano and, like her mother, was formally presented at the Savannah Christmas Cotillion. If her mother was proud that night-and she was, by the look on her face-Gabby by that time felt as if she were finally ready to make her own decisions, some of which she knew her mother wouldn’t approve. Sure, she wanted to get married and have children someday just like Mom, but by then she’d realized that she also wanted a career like Dad. More specifically, she wanted to be a doctor.
Oh, Mom said all the right things when she found out. In the beginning, anyway. But then the subtle guilt offensive began. As Gabby aced exam after exam in college, her mom would sometimes frown and wonder aloud whether it was possible to both work full-time as a doctor and be a full-time wife and mother.
“But if work is more important to you than family,” her mom would say, “then by all means, become a doctor.”
Gabby tried to resist her mother’s campaign, but in the end, old habits die hard and she eventually settled on PA school instead of medical school. The reasons made sense: She’d still see patients, but her hours would be relatively stable and she’d never be on call-definitely a more family-friendly option. Still, it sometimes bugged her that her mother put the idea in her mind in the first place.
But she couldn’t deny that family was important to her. That’s the thing about being the product of happily married parents. You grow up thinking the fairy tale is real, and more than that, you think you’re entitled to live it. So far, though, it wasn’t working out as planned. She and Kevin had dated long enough to fall in love, survive the ordinary ups and downs that break most couples apart, and even talk about the future. She had decided that he was the one she wanted to spend her life with, and she frowned, thinking about their most recent argument.
As if sensing Gabby’s distress, Molly struggled to her feet and waddled over, nuzzling Gabby’s hand. Gabby stroked her fur, allowing it to run through her fingers.
“I wonder if it’s stress,” Gabby said, wishing her life could be more like Molly’s. Simple, without cares or responsibilities… well, except for the pregnancy part. “Do I seem stressed to you?”
Molly didn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. Gabby knew she was stressed. She could feel it in her shoulders whenever she paid the bills, or when Dr. Melton leered at her, or when Kevin played stupid about what she’d expected by agreeing to move closer to him. It didn’t help that, aside from Kevin, she didn’t really have any friends here. She’d barely gotten to know anyone outside the office, and truth be told, her neighbor was the first person she’d spoken with since she’d moved in. Thinking back, she supposed she could have been nicer about the whole thing. She felt a twinge of remorse about spouting off the way she had, especially since he did seem like a friendly guy. When he’d helped her up, he’d seemed almost like a friend. And once she’d started babbling, he hadn’t interrupted her once, which was sort of refreshing, too.
It was remarkable now that she thought about it. Considering how crazy she must have sounded, he hadn’t gotten upset or snapped at her, which was something Kevin would have done. Just thinking about the gentle way he’d helped her to her feet made the blood rush to her cheeks. And then there had been a moment after he’d handed her the napkin that she’d caught him staring at her in a way that suggested he’d found her attractive as well. It had been a long time since something like that had happened, and even though she didn’t want to admit it, it made her feel good about herself. She missed that. Amazing what a little truthful confrontation could do for the soul.
She went into the bedroom and slipped into a pair of comfy sweats and a soft, worn shirt she’d owned since her freshman year in college. Molly trailed behind her, and when Gabby realized what she needed, she motioned toward the door.
“You ready to go outside?” she asked.
Molly’s tail started to wag as she moved toward the door. Gabby inspected her closely. She still looked pregnant, but maybe her neighbor had a point. She should bring her to the vet, if only to be sure. Besides, she had no idea how to care for a pregnant dog. She wondered if Molly needed extra vitamins, which reminded her again that she was falling behind in her own resolution to lead a healthier life. Eating better, exercising, sleeping regularly, stretching: She’d planned to start as soon as she’d moved into the house. A new-house resolution of sorts, but it hadn’t really taken hold. Tomorrow, she’d definitely go jogging, then have a salad for lunch and another one for dinner. And since she was ready to get on with some serious life changes, she might just ask Kevin point-blank about his plans for their future.