“Oh my
“I don't even have the heart to tell your father, Adam, it will kill him.”
“I doubt it,” Adam said calmly. “But if you tell him, be sure to wake him up first. Talk to you soon, Mom.” And with that, he hung up.
“What did she say?” Maggie asked, looking worried, as she walked back into the room. They had just gotten back to New York. He had called his kids before his mother, and they were fine. They had said they liked Maggie a lot, and were happy for him.
“She was thrilled,” Adam said with a broad grin of victory. “I told her you were going to convert.”
“Good.”
The three couples met for dinner at Le Cirque a week later. Charlie had invited them, and had given them a clue. He said he had important news.
They all arrived on time, and were ushered to a well-placed table. The three women looked lovely, and everyone was in a good mood. They ordered drinks and chatted for a few minutes, and then Charlie told them that he and Carole were engaged and getting married in June. Everyone was thrilled. And then Adam looked at Maggie with a conspiratorial grin.
“What do you two have up your sleeve?” Charlie had seen them exchange the look.
“We got married last week,” Adam said, beaming at his wife. “And we're having a baby in June.” There was a small roar from the group.
“We've been upstaged!” Charlie said, and laughed. He was pleased for them. Carole and Maggie consulted immediately about the date the baby was due. The wedding was set for two weeks before her due date, so Maggie said she'd be fine. Fat but fine.
“What about our August trip on the
“Works for us,” Charlie said, looking around the group, as all the others nodded their heads.
“Can we bring the baby?” Maggie asked cautiously.
“Bring the baby and a nanny,” Charlie confirmed. “Looks like everybody's on. And Sylvia, I hope you'll come too.” They all agreed it would be a cozy group of six with all their ladies along, different than before, but a lively group nonetheless.
“Oh, and by the way,” Gray said, smiling happily, “I just moved in last week. Now I'm
“I remember those rules.” Maggie laughed. “Do you have holidays yet? It's not a
“I just did.” Gray answered her question about holidays. He said he'd gone to Vermont with Sylvia and her children, and celebrated Christmas with them. It had made him nervous once or twice, but he had done fine. Emily and Gilbert had gone back to Europe the week before, and he had promised to go to Italy with them for a week before he and Sylvia went on the
He was hard at work on the portrait of Boy, and moving full steam ahead for his April show. He wanted the portrait of Boy to be the most important piece in the show, but it wasn't for sale. He was planning to hang it in Sylvia's loft, and referred to it as a family portrait. In death, more than he had ever been in life, Boy was his brother. They had found each other at the eleventh hour, thanks to Boy.
“What about you two?” Adam teased him, since everyone else was getting married. “When are you going to tie the knot?”
“Never!” they both said in unison, and everybody laughed again.
“You should do it in Portofino next summer, where you met,” Charlie suggested.
“We're too old to get married,” Sylvia said convincingly. She had just turned fifty, three days after Gray turned fifty-one. “And we don't want babies.”
“That's what I thought too,” Adam said sheepishly, with a grin and a loving glance at Maggie. She'd been feeling better for the past few days.
“No wonder you got seasick on the boat,” Charlie said as he figured it out.
“Yeah, I guess,” Maggie said shyly. “I didn't know then.”
They were a congenial group and toasted each other liberally all evening. As usual, the men drank too much. And given the occasion, the women made no attempt to keep them in control. It was all in good fun. They drank an impressive amount of very fine French wine.
By the time they left each other at the end of the evening, plans were made, dates were set. Everyone had made note of the date of Charlie and Carole's wedding, Maggie had shared her due date, and they were all set for the
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