What Lies Ahead

“I can’t wait to start buying baby clothes,” Kira told Joel. “Today I was in Oshkosh and saw so many wonderful things. I saw Huggable snuggies.”

Joel stared at her. “What are Huggable snuggies?”

“They are blankets with arms. I saw one. It was an grey elephant. It was so adorable. The child can hug the elephant while wrapped inside the blanket.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“What’s the matter?” she asked. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

Joel sighed. “I do.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I saw Matt today. We had lunch together. He and Gina are separating.”

“Oh, no. When?”

“As soon as he finds a place.”

“How long are they separating for?”

“Six months.”

“Wow. Did he say why they are separating?”

“Things aren’t working out between them. He says that separation is the only other option right now.”

Kira sighed. “I hope it doesn’t lead to a divorce.”

“I don’t agree with divorce and the Bible says that God hates it but if their marriage can’t be salvaged, then they have no choice but to end it. It’s no use staying married if you’re not happy.”

“What about Cam and the baby that’s on the way?”

“It’s not always a good thing for people to stay together because they have children.”

“I guess not. Did he mention that he called me last night after he ran into Mel at Yorkdale?”

“Yes, he did. He said Mel wasn’t herself.”

“Did he mention Desmond?”

“Yes. And he admitted something to me.”

“What did he admit?”

“That he was jealous when he thought that Mel was dating this other guy.”

“So, I was right. I suspected as much because he sounded more upset about Desmond than Mel’s new look.”

“Is her new look really that bad?”

“Yes, trust me, it is.”

“Hmmm. I hope she goes back to her old look soon, then.”

“I hope so too. She’s a lovely young woman with the makeup or tacky outfits.”

“Speaking of outfits, I have to remember to pick up my suit from the cleaner’s. I’m going to wear it to Dad’s birthday bash.”

“Do you think they will show up together or will Matt come alone?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“I guess Matt will wait until after the party to tell your parents about the separation.”

“I guess so and I’m not sure when Gina will tell hers.”

“I’m sure she’s going to blame Mel for the separation.”

“She has no right to do that. The marriage was in trouble long before Mel came into the picture.”

“You and I know that and she knows that but she will still blame Mel for the state of her marriage. Maybe I should discourage Mel from coming to the party.”

“You can’t do that. Dad would be very disappointed. You know how fond he is of her.”

“All right but it might be awkward if Gina comes with Matt.”

“We have to keep her and Mel away from each other.”

“And we should keep Mel and Matt apart as well.”

“It’s going to be a very interesting evening.”

Kira sighed. “Yes. It will be.” What else lies ahead for this family? she wondered.

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond