“You really think I have pretty hair?”

“I think you are a beautiful woman, Mitzi. See you tomorrow.” He tipped an imaginary hat and walked outside.

Jody came out of the sewing room with two beers. “I hid until y’all got done in case you wanted to talk.” She handed one bottle to Mitzi and tipped the other one up. “It’s been a helluva day, hasn’t it?” She rolled her eyes toward the stairs. “Do we leave her alone until she comes out or barge in and make her talk?”

“If she don’t spit it out, she’s goin’ to explode,” Mitzi said.

“I’ll get the ice cream and meet you there in a couple of minutes,” Jody said.

Mitzi nodded and took the stairs two at a time. By the time she reached the top, Jody had joined her with a quart of rocky road ice cream and three spoons.

“Do you think this will do the trick?” Jody asked. “Or do I need to run back down there and bring up a package of chocolate cookies?”

“I think that’s enough,” Mitzi whispered.

Jody knocked gently on Paula’s door.

“Go away. I’m not through crying,” Paula sobbed.

Mitzi turned the knob to find it locked. “Either let us in or I’ll kick the damn door in.”

They heard the click when Paula unlocked the door, but the door remained closed. Mitzi threw it open and marched right into the room. Paula was curled up in a fetal position in the middle of the bed, her hands over her eyes, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m pregnant and hormonal and in shock and I’m stupid,” she said between sobs.

“I can agree with three, but that last one is up for debate.” Mitzi crawled up into the center of the bed and laid a hand on Paula’s shoulder. “Sit up, honey. Talk to us so we can help. And if you don’t stop crying, then I’m going to start, and you know what that does to my face.”

Jody followed Mitzi’s lead, settled cross-legged to her left, opened the container of ice cream, and stuck three spoons in it. “And with all the drama in my life right now, I sure can’t let you two cry without me sobbing, so let’s eat ice cream and scream, bitch, yell, kick holes in the wall—whatever it takes to get over this. I can’t believe that sumbitch acted like he didn’t even know you.” Jody dug deep into the ice cream and shoved the spoon toward Paula’s mouth. “Open up or it’s going to drip all over your shirt.”

Paula sat up and took the spoon from Jody. She laid a hand on her stomach as if she was protecting her child. “She just kicked. I think she’s tellin’ me everything’s gonna be all right.”