Wednesday and Thursday had the potential to be long and lonely for Susan. Greg left an hour before dawn on Wednesday morning, so even though she got up to see him off, she went back to bed and slept for several more hours before actually getting up. She and Jessie breakfasted with Karen, and afterwards Jessie spent much of the day in the art room with the kindergarten class or playing with her friends. Meanwhile Susan took the opportunity to work. It was the perfect opportunity to catch up on her projects while Greg was away, and so right after breakfast Wednesday morning, she took her computer to the library, thinking the tables there would be more suitable to her needs than the low one in the sitting area of their cottage.
“Good morning Susan,” Karen greeted her from the librarian’s desk as she came in.
“Good morning Karen. Is it okay if I work in here today?”
“I don’t see why not,” Karen assured her.
“Thank you,” Susan said and she settled herself at one of the tables near an electrical outlet and was soon immersed in her programming. The next time she looked up it was late morning and Karen was watching her.
Susan smiled when she saw her.
“How are you doing that? We don’t have internet connection here,” Karen said.
“I have the program stored locally on my computer,” Susan explained. “I can develop this here, then upload it to the internet server after I get home.”
Karen nodded blankly as she sat down beside Susan studying her screen.
“I have no idea what I’m seeing,” she told her. “I suppose it’s some sort of code.”
“That’s exactly what you’re seeing,” Susan told her. “How are you doing today?”
“Okay. I slept a little better last night. Susan, why are you working? I thought you were here on vacation.”
“We are mostly, but I picked up two new clients within the last month and Greg’s been getting more work as well, so we’ve been trying to work our time off in around our other obligations. I just though since Greg’s away today and Jessie’s happy in your kindergarten class, this morning might be a good time to do this,” Susan explained. “And speaking of working, why are you still doing this? I thought you were going to start cutting back this week as well.”
“Oh I am. I’m not taking classes anymore until after the baby comes, but the library needs tending and the office staff need looking after, so I can’t just drop everything,” Karen told her.
“Have you thought about whose going to do those things while you’re away?” Susan asked.
“One of the teachers probably. I thought I’d ask her next week, when I’m a bit closer to my due date,” Karen said as she straightened slightly in her chair.
Susan nodded. “Your back again?” she asked glancing at the clock on the library wall.
“It always is,” Karen agreed.
“Has this been going on long today?” Susan inquired casually.
“Only about an hour. It should stop soon. It usually does … though yesterday it went on longer.”
Susan looked critically at her friend.
“I think you should try to rest today when you can.”
“I’m okay Susan, really,” Karen insisted and she went back to the tasks she’d been trying to take care of.
As Karen had predicted, her practice contractions ended again after about another hour. Karen brushed it off as no big deal, but Susan couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before it wouldn’t.
YOU ARE READING
Hidden Dreams
FantasyBook 4 of the Dreamers Series, this story follows Greg and Susan as they enter their married life together. Still far from home with challenges ahead, they know from their past that after they marry is often where they get things wrong. They know in...
