Second Time Around. Carol Steward

of it, but the time will come when you’ll realize what he still means to you.”

      Emily watched her sister dance to the back door and pull the Victorian lace curtains closed, seemingly mocking Emily’s problems. Katarina was the only sane person she knew who could switch moods as easily as turning pages on a calendar.

      “I am curious,” Kat continued. “How do you plan to avoid him when both of you are friends with Laura and Bryan?”

      “They’ll understand.” Emily placed the ivy-trimmed dishes on the antique table and added two glasses of iced tea. She thought of Kevin’s promise that they would see each other again, and the seething anger started anew. “Oooh, he’s so sure of himself.”

      Katarina didn’t say anything, just smiled. The disk changed, and it wasn’t long before she began humming with the music. Pretty soon, Emily heard an echo of the wedding processional behind her.

      “Knock it off, Katarina.”

      “Mama always said your temper was because of that fiery red hair. Came from the Irish side of the family, I suppose.”

      Emily shook her head and rolled her eyes, remembering their childish arguments as if they were yesterday.

      They continued preparing dinner in silence. Even though Katarina irritated her like only a little sister could, Emily was anxious for Kat’s move to town so they could get together more often. They were the closest of the three siblings in age and in spirit.

      If it hadn’t been for her sister’s youthful encouragement, Emily never would have made it through the broken engagement or medical school. Kat’s zany sense of humor was a totally endearing quality that Emily had learned to appreciate, and had come to depend upon.

      “Emily?” Her sister touched her arm.

      She turned, shaking the daze away. “What?”

      Kat had moved the food to the table, and now motioned for Emily to sit. In unison they bowed their heads, while Emily blessed the nourishment before them.

      There was an unsettling quiet as they ate.

      “Do you think Dad ever loved Mom?” After all these years, Katarina’s voice echoed Emily’s gnawing childhood fear.

      Emily stared at her food. Would the mention of her broken engagement ever stop reminding all of them of their father? “I try not to analyze them, Kat. We both know how unforgiving Mom can be. Maybe Dad couldn’t take it anymore. Maybe… Who knows?” Emily shrugged, then took a bite of chicken. She wished her sister would change the subject.

      “Don’t you ever wonder why he never came back to see us?”

      Slurping the juice dripping from the bite of pear, Emily mumbled, “Of course I do. I doubt I’ll ever get over it.”

      “What?” Katarina turned her head slightly, tears brimming in her bright blue eyes. Out of frustration, she combed her fingers through one side of her sporty hairstyle, as if the hair were preventing her hearing aid from working.

      “I mean, there are parts of my past I can’t seem to forget.” The hearing aid in Katarina’s ear was tiny and no longer bothered her, but it always would Emily. It was a constant reminder of why she’d gone into medicine. No matter how much she tried, Emily would never forget the pain she’d nursed her little sister through. She’d do everything possible to help prevent another child’s suffering. “How do you deal with it? You’re always so disgustingly cheerful.”

      The brightness of her sister’s porcelain skin paled and the smile dimmed. “There are still days when I’m so mad I could spit nails. Trust me.”

      Emily took her sister’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sure there are, Kat.” Caring for Katarina and their youngest sister, Lisa, while her mother had worked two jobs had made Emily realize the importance of an education. Which was why she and Kevin had agreed to wait until she finished her bachelor’s degree to get married. Then came that letter—

      Her mind pulled the plug on the memory. “Hey, we’re supposed to be having a good time tonight. Who brought up this maudlin subject, anyway?”

      Katarina grinned. “You’re right. Let’s change the subject. So, tell me more about the wedding. The part without Kevin, if you’d prefer.”

      In between bites of chicken cordon bleu and salad, Emily told her everything, excluding the charming way Kevin had played with the kids during the reception. Remembering it made her heart swell. There he was in his tailored suit, romping around on the floor with Laura’s sons so the bride and groom could enjoy the reception….

      His thoughtfulness and boyish sense of humor were what had first caught her attention so many years ago. She had been sitting solemnly by herself under the golden leaves of the grand old maple tree at the college-sponsored concert, when Kevin spied her staring at him. Even from a distance, she’d seen the way he made everyone around him feel. He had a contagious laugh and a quick wit. As she blushed, he introduced himself. A few minutes later they were sharing the shade, deep in conversation and laughter.

      For three years he’d courted her, throughout it all putting up with her mother’s ridicule. But Emily had stayed, falling ever more deeply in love with the man her mother had predicted would love her and leave her, just as Emily’s philandering father had done.

      “I’m going to Lincoln next week for a show. Do you want me to take anything to Mom?” If her sister noticed Emily’s distraction, she didn’t mention it.

      Emily welcomed the interruption.

      “Mom… Oh, yeah, would you take her birthday present?”

      “What did you get her? I haven’t found anything yet.”

      “It’s an airline ticket. Thought I’d take her to the mountains. Care to join us? I’ve borrowed Laura and Bryan’s cabin for a week.”

      “Sounds fun. I’ll check my schedule. With the move, I may have to make a last-minute decision depending on how everything is going.”

      “I thought I’d see if Lisa can join us, too. We’ll make it a family reunion.”

      After catching up on the latest on Lisa and her beau, they discussed Kat’s growing business and her worries of keeping up with the demand for her designer dolls.

      Clearing the dishes while Katarina called her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Emily let her thoughts return to their mother’s influence on the three daughters’ relationships. Katarina couldn’t take that final plunge into matrimony. Lisa didn’t date any man long enough to fall in love.

      And Emily—the broken engagement to Kevin had been enough to send the frightened child in her running as far as possible from love and commitment.

      Eight years later, she was still running.

      Two weeks had passed since her sister’s visit, and since she’d seen Kevin. Emily walked into the church’s preschool to tell the children about being a doctor. She and the teacher visited for a few minutes before a little boy from Emily’s Sunday school class grabbed her hand. “Dr. Emily, come see what a tall tower I can build.” She followed Ricky, welcoming the chance to visit with the little boy away from the examination room.

      For the next half hour, Emily watched as Ricky played with the children. After Circle Time, they prepared for the guests to talk about their careers. A cake decorator was first, and gave each child an ornately decorated cookie to keep each busy while she turned a mound of cake into a stand-up penguin.

      Emily was next. She looked at the cake and the children eagerly eating cookies. Great, how do I top this?

      After telling the children about how much she enjoyed being a doctor, she pulled the stethoscope out of her pocket.

      “Dr. Emily, can I listen to your heart?” Ricky blurted out, his raised hand flapping back and forth.

      “Sure. You can each have a turn. Come up one at