Promises (TP 6)

Bonus chapter 1: October

This is something I wrote based on one of my favorite autumn evenings. Enjoy!

Tessa Bennett looked around and smiled. It was a gorgeous beach day in mid July. A row of beach chairs were set up near the water in the wet sand. In front of the chairs sand toys were strewn around. Little sand hands dug in the sand as bronzed children giggled. Abbie and Chloe were busy burying Maya but the wet sand kept rolling off. Eliza joined in, but she just hit Maya with the shovel. Abbie coaxed her into burying a toy truck with JP instead.

The two youngest sat in a shallow pool at their mother's feet. Tessa had to keep Leo from plopping over. Noah could crawl out when he wasn't busy eating sand.

Jen wrinkled her nose. "I hope he waits until Alex is home before he shits that out."

All the women laughed. Kids raised on The Point ate dirt. Megan laughed. "He's nothing like his mother. I remember you when you hated to get your hands dirty."

Jen pouted. "I was four or five."

"Or eight or nine."

"Well I grew out of it."

"Alex must be glad you like to get dirty," Kristi said.

All the women laughed. Tessa loved her friends, Megan, Jen, Maddie, and Kristi. Sometimes others joined them. Maddie's sister-in-law Lana, but she had her own group of friends. They were seated behind them on the drier sand.

"We need to make plans for a night out. The men play poker and we take care of the kids." Kristi announced.

Megan laughed. "Kristi, your kids don't need to be taken care of and you always drink on poker night."

Maddie said, "I saw something on Facebook but it isn't until October."

Kristi complained, "October is months away."

Maddie nodded. "I know but the pumpkin farm is having a night in the corn maze."

"The corn maze is for kids. We get lost every year. You would think a PhD could find his way out." Megan teased.

"It's for adults. There are stations inside the maze with wine and chocolate."

Kristi said, "Wine!"

Tessa licked her lips. "Chocolate!"

Maddie smiled. "Should I buy tickets?"

Megan said, "I'm in."

"You know I am, Tessa?" Kristi asked.

"I'll talk with Patrick."

"Newlywed," Jen teased.

"Your husband will be glad for you to go have fun."

Tessa stopped herself from saying the girls were hers, because Patrick didn't think that way.

Megan said, "Leo will be nine months. He'll sleep the whole time."

Leo hated the bottle. He definitely took after his father the way he loved her breast. A flutter ran through her. Maybe when Patrick came back from poker, but a house full of teens and a baby made it hard to be alone.

Megan said, "I think it will be fun, but don't count on me to lead us through."

"Who will drive?" Kristi didn't volunteer.

"I will. I don't drink." Tessa said.

"You need to," Kristi said.

"Who can we invite who doesn't drink?" Jen said.

"Who is pregnant?" Megan asked.

A chorus of not me made them laugh. Maddie said, "Lana is next."

"Is she?"