Chapter 43

• The next day, I drive my twelve-year-old car through St. Augustine's downtown tourist crowd, past the ancient fort and the so-called Fountain of Youth. I pull into the publisher's spot at the paper, still wearing my plain pink sundress from the baby shower held at a park by the sea, so I can dash across the street and get an iced drink.
• I want to drink something more substantial, but it seems premature to be soaking up a bottle of wine at three in the afternoon. It's bittersweet to see Amelia's protruding belly, the gifts, and the happy anticipation of a baby.
• It had been a beautiful torment all day. The organic hemp baby blanket delighted Amelia, and I enjoyed laughing with her as we played ridiculous party games for hours. But deep inside, life's realities tore at me, notably when Amelia wrapped her arm around her husband, and he gave her a soft side kiss that made me want to cry.