Free Amelia by Bernadette Marie Page A

other two women. “I haven’t told them anything yet.”
    Amelia sipped her wine. “I suppose they’ll need to know. Especially since I was the beneficiary of the will.”
    Vivian took a long drink from her wine. “I’m just trying to decide how to tell them what an S.O.B. their son was. To them, Adam walked on water. To most of this town actually.”
    Vivian took another long sip and then set down the glass. “I think that’s been the hardest part of all of this. I was married to Adam Monroe. Soldier. Star quarterback. Loving father,” she said through gritted teeth. “His parents are upstanding citizens in the community and involved in the church.” She picked up the wine and finished it off. “What will they all say when they all learn about the two of you?”
    “I’ve never known a town to not have some kind of gossip. I guess we’re it,” Amelia said.
    “Wonderful. And my girls?”
    “We protect them,” Penelope said softly.
    Vivian’s eyes narrowed on the overly optimistic Penelope. “Right. He’ll rot in hell for what those girls will go through because of him.” Vivian finished her glass of wine. “Let’s eat.”
    She made a plate for each of them and they carried them to the small table.
    “You’re a good cook,” Penelope said with her mouth full of spaghetti. “This is wonderful.”
    “This is simple. I didn’t know how tonight was going to go.”
    “As long as you didn’t lace this with anything, I’d say we’re doing pretty good.” Amelia took a large bite to prove that Vivian indeed didn’t poison them.
    Vivian set her fork down. Her face had gone serious and her eyes moist. “I don’t know what to tell my girls. How can I ever explain who you are?”
    Amelia swallowed her bite and then took a long sip of her wine. “I don’t know. I can’t see how you can’t.”
    Vivian nodded. “I know. They’re really small. I just can’t say Daddy had other wives… ” She looked at Penelope. “Other kids.”
    Penelope’s eyes grew moist too. “Maybe you don’t have to. We could just be friends of yours. I mean for all they know I’m having a cousin—well for now.” She sucked in a breath. “But I’m having a brother or sister to them.”
    It was as if Penelope had only now realized the severity of the situation. Her baby was blood to Vivian’s girls. They were a family—the children.
    Penelope covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh, no. They’re going to hate me. I’ve done such a bad…”
    “Don’t you go there,” Amelia pointed a finger in her direction. “You didn’t do this. He played us. So don’t go taking blame for his shortcomings.”
    Vivian clasped her hands together and rested her head against them. “They’re going to find out. In time they will see what he was. But I have to believe in the innocence of youth for now, right? They don’t have to be told anything. They are young enough. In time it will be—well it will just be.”
    “Maybe it would be easier if I just left. Disappeared,” Penelope looked at both of them.
    “How are you going to do that?” Amelia argued. “Sam gave you a good job. We’ll find a place to live and we’re going to create something for these kids.”
    Vivian looked at her. “Sam gave you a job?”
    Penelope nodded. “His mother is going back to Florida. So until we start whatever we’re going to start he took me on. For a few months at least.”
    “Generous.”
    Amelia picked up her wine. “The point is Adam threw us together. I can’t imagine his plan was for us to stick together, but for the kids that’s what we’re going to do.”
    Vivian shook her head. “I still don’t see why you stick around. You don’t have kids.”
    Amelia sipped her wine and set the glass down. “I have nothing else to call mine either. I suppose it’s as good a time as any time grow some roots.”
    Vivian filled her glass again from the bottle of wine. “So a daycare? Where the hell are we going to put that?”
    “We