Free Arranging Love by Nina Pierce

miss him so much.”
    “Come on, Meghan, he’s a cat. It’s not like a family member died,” Deidre said.
    The sisters looked at one another, the concern reflected in their eyes.
    “Daddy looks good today,” Julie managed to squeak out and focused her attention on packaging up the leftovers.
    “He’s definitely getting better. He’s barely using the cane today,” Deirdre said.
    “Daddy’s going to be fine. He’s going to walk us all down the aisle and dance at our wedding receptions.” Meghan squared her shoulders as if saying the words with conviction would make them true.
    “Speaking of that, Damon and I set a date.” Julie kept her back to them.
    “What?” Incredulous, Deirdre and Meghan yelled at the same time.
    She turned around and fisted her hands on her hips. “I’m not getting any younger. I’m starting a family of my own, and I want to be married to Damon when the baby comes.” Her hand shot out to point at the dining room. “Daddy would want us to live our lives. I…”
    “What did you say?” Meghan’s voice cut in, quiet, but emphatic.
    “Daddy doesn’t want us…”
    Meghan’s hand churned the air, trying to clear the confusion. “No, not about Daddy. What did you say about a family?”
    Embarrassment flushed up from Julie’s chest to settle in her cheeks, painting them a deep shade of maroon. “We’re pregnant. I didn’t want to announce it yet, but now it’s out there.” The words fell out of her mouth in staccato bursts.
    Noisy screams of congratulations erupted from Meghan and Deirdre as they gathered Julie in a celebratory hug.
    “We can’t say anything to Mum,” Meghan pleaded.
    “Don’t tell your mother what?” Alice stood in the kitchen door, dishes from the table filling her hands.
    “Meghan doesn’t want you to know that Peter’s going out of town again,” Deirdre piped in helpfully, shrugging at Meghan.
    “He has been traveling an awful lot, sweetie.” Alice set down the dishes and stepped to Meghan, brushing hair out of her eyes. “But I’m sure the promotion has been worth it, or he wouldn’t do it.” Alice returned to the dining room, Julie following on her heels.
    “Thanks, Dee.” Meghan’s low tone couldn’t disguise her anger or hurt.
    “What?” Deirdre went back to rinsing dishes. “Everyone but you knows what all his trips…” She emphasized the word with air quotes. “…mean.”
    Now her sister had gone too far. “Damn it all to hell, Deirdre Tilling. Since Brianna cheated on you and left you high and dry, you’ve been looking for infidelity at every turn.”
    “Meghan!”
    “Well, you have. And it’s really starting to piss me off! There’s nothing going on with Peter. The end. He loves me, and he sure as hell isn’t looking for someone else. We’re quite happy together, thank you very much!”
    John cleared his throat.
    Meghan swung around to face Doc McCarty and her father in the door way.
    “Girls will be girls, Gordon.” John laughed out the words as he came into the kitchen.
    Meghan didn’t know what they had heard, hopefully nothing more than indistinct voices rife with anger.
    John continued, ignoring his daughters’ argument. “And the kitchen is the only room left to do.”
    “The house is beautiful, Deirdre,” Doc said, a shaky smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
    That’s all they needed, to bring someone else into their family business.
    “You girls have coffee?” John leaned heavily on his cane, two fingers pressed to the center of his chest. “I could use something to clear away the heartbu…” John lurched forward, his hand lifting in a feeble attempt to grab the counter. His body folded in on itself, falling to the floor with a heavy thud.
    * * * *
    Crystal knew when to accept fate without questioning the greater purpose, and the ambulance that she had followed to the Bangor Hospital was nothing short of a sign. Though she had no idea who was in the confines of the vehicle, the fact that