The end of the tale. Thanks for reading. I apologize for the delay, but I'm working with someone now temporarily, to proof and edit my work. I will soon need another editor, any volunteers?
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Stella raged, screaming in the car. She raged about the unfairness of life, the choices she made that were wrong. and most of all, she raged about Charley, and the happiness he had found.
It was totally irrational, she knew that, but she felt Norma had stolen something that was hers. She didn't know if she wanted it back, but she definitely didn't want Norma to have it.
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Norma was a little worried. Charley was uncharacteristically moody, less likely to smile than before. They were home, talking about the plans they had for the weekend. She wanted to change the chandelier in the great room to something a little more modern. Charley had as usual said she could change it, but now seemed to be having second thoughts.
"Now, Charley, you agreed. It's already been delivered, the electricians are going to install it tomorrow."
He looked at her with an odd expression.
"We can send it back, pay them their call out rate, and have the whole day alone. Does it really matter?"
She found herself getting short with him.
"It matters to me. You agreed I could do this, and we are NOT sending it back. That's the end of this discussion!"
She never forgot the look he gave her. He opened his mouth to say something, seemed to stop and think. Then he got up and left.
She wasn't too concerned for the first couple of hours, but when he wasn't home by midnight, she called Sherrie.
"Charley isn't home yet. Have you seen him?"
Sherrie had been asleep and noticed the time. She pushed on David until he stopped snoring and woke up.
"Sorry, honey. I haven't laid eyes on him since Wednesday. Did he say where he was going?"
"No! We were talking about changing the chandelier and he got up and left without a word. I'm worried."
Sherrie had a bad feeling she couldn't shake, but she put on a bright tone.
"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. If he isn't home soon, call me back."
She talked to her a few more minutes until Norma calmed before hanging up. She looked at David.
"Charley left Norma without a word and it's been four hours. What do you think happened?"
She had snuggled back into him, and he was absently rubbing her belly. The baby kicked and she saw his smile.
"I don't know. It isn't like Charley. The only time I can ever remember him doing things like this was right before he and Stella broke up. She was making crazy demands and Charley was tired of putting up with it. When she got into the 'this is the way it's going to be and you're gonna have to get used to it' rants, he would get up and leave the house. He told me once that he was never going through that again. But I can't see Norma doing anything like that in a million years. I'm sure he'll be back soon, in fact he's probably back now. Go back to sleep honey, you need the rest."
It wasn't to be. At two thirty Norma called back in tears.
"He's not back yet! Something is really wrong, I can feel it."
About four minutes of crying and unintelligible sounds followed.
"Norma, honey, Norma, NORMA!"
The crying stopped. For a second.
"Norma, we'll be there in a bit. Turn the porch light on."
It was almost four before they were in the living room, feeding Norma hot tea. After talking for an hour, Sherrie led her to bed, and snuggled to her while she went to sleep in the big bed, filled with his scent. She slept until nine.
She woke, feeling someone in the bed with her. He's back! But when she turned she saw the large tummy, and knew who it was.
She saw her eyes open and hugged her.
"I feel so bad for pulling you out of your bed, but I had no one else to turn to. Please don't think I'm a horrible person."
Sherrie petted her, doing her best to console her.
"You're not a bad person, Norma. You're a good person in an upsetting situation. Let's go have some coffee. If he came home and saw me in bed with you, he probably slept in one of the spare bedrooms."
She laughed as she waddled down the steps. "If I have to come over here again, we're sleeping downstairs."
She checked on David, hearing his snores as she opened the door. No Charley to be found.
Coming back into the kitchen, she saw Norman fiddling with a new coffee brewer, one of those one cup at a time, four hundred flavors model.
"Wow! Where did that come from?"
Norma was glad she liked it.
"I bought it for the house. Charley fought me on it, he wanted to keep that beat up old percolator, but I talked him into getting rid of it.
David walked in during the conversation, frowning.
"I talked to Charley. He finally returned a call. He'll be back at the plant by Monday morning. Don't try to contact him before then."
Norma was starting to cry.
