Free Rebecca's Little Secret by Judy Christenberry Page B

have found a lot more strength in you than you’d imagined.”
    Chelsea gave him a solemn look. “I hope so.”
     
    F RIDAY NIGHT , R EBECCA fixed Joey’s collar and smoothed down his hair one more time. “Please be polite this evening. After a while, you can come upstairs and watch television, but we want to celebrate the new baby first.”
    “Why do we celebrate the new baby when he’s not even here yet?” Joey asked. “He can’t even have any cake.”
    “No, he can’t. But we celebrate him because he’s a miracle.”
    “What’s a miracle?”
    “It’s something that happens in spite of everything.”
    “Was I a miracle?” Joey asked, staring at his mother.
    “Yes, sweetie, you were. You’re my special miracle.”
    “And mine, too,” a deep voice said over her shoulder.
    “Oh, Jeff. I didn’t know you were here. Is Chelsea with you?” Rebecca hurriedly asked, hoping to hide her embarrassment.
    “Yeah, she and Bill are downstairs with Vanessa. I came up to see if you two were ready.”
    “Did you see the cake, Daddy? It has little baby shoes on it. Grandma Vivian said that’s ’cause it’s for the baby, but he doesn’t get to eat any. Isn’t that funny?”
    “That’s been fascinating him all afternoon,” Rebecca explained.
    “And driving you crazy?” Jeff asked sympathetically.
    “Yes. Joey, take your daddy’s hand and go downstairs. I need to brush my hair and then I’ll be down.”
    “We could wait for you,” Jeff suggested.
    “You’re as bad as Chelsea. You’ll be fine.” She hurried out the door to go to her room.
    “I think Mommy’s tired.”
    “You do? I guess I shouldn’t have made her work today. I didn’t think about that.”
    “She made me take a shower and change clothes and everything.” There was a hint of a pout in those words that gave Jeff pause.
    “You didn’t give your mom a hard time, did you?”
    Joey immediately shook his head no. “But I wanted to wear my jeans. Mommy said no.”
    “I figured you’d be in a suit, like me.” Jeff led him to the stairs and started down them.
    “I don’t have a suit. Mommy said I should, but she said I grow too fast.”
    “Hmm, I need to discuss that with Mommy.”
    When they got downstairs, Jeff discovered the party had also become an opportunity for an announcement to all his clients and friends about Joey. Was that why Rebecca had lingered upstairs? Well, he guessed not. How could she have known that he was going to come upstairs to get them? When she finally did come down, Joey turned loose of his hand and immediately crossed the room to her side. Jeff followed.
    “Are you feeling all right?” he asked.
    “Yes, of course. Why?” she asked as she knelt down beside her son.
    “Joey said you were tired.”
    “It was a busy day.”
    “I could’ve given you the afternoon off,” he offered.
    “It’s all right,” she said, rising. “Come on, Joey, let’s go see if Betty and Peter need our help.”
    Which effectively excluded Jeff, he realized, as he watched them walk away.
    “Where’s Rebecca going?” Chelsea asked as she and Bill approached Jeff.
    “I believe to the kitchen. Have you been introducing Bill around? I want him to meet any clients who are here.”
    “Yes, I have. Vanessa offered to do so, but I told her I’d manage,” Chelsea assured him, looking proud of herself.
    “I’m glad you met Vanessa,” Jeff said to Bill. “I thought maybe we could double-date, if the two of you get along.”
    “I wouldn’t mind,” Bill assured him.
    “I think she’s seeing someone,” Chelsea said at once.
    “Really, who?”
    “I don’t know his name, but I’m sure they’re pretty serious.”
    Rebecca came back into the room, crowded with people, without Joey. She joined her sister. Jeff immediately began moving in that direction and found Chelsea and Bill following him across the room.
    “I just wanted to check on Joey.”
    “We wondered what happened to him, too,” Chelsea assured