Chapter 5
"Good morning," Joey said to Phoebe, when she walked, fully dressed, out of the spare bedroom. "Did you get any sleep? Did Lily?"
"Lily is still sleeping," Phoebe said, taking a seat on the stool at the counter across from Joey. She poured cereal and milk into a bowl Joey had waiting for her. "I slept some. I hope we didn't keep you awake."
"Nah. I heard Lily crying a little during the night, but that's all."
"She keeps having the same nightmare about her father."
"I'm sorry, Pheebs."
"I try to comfort her as much as I can, but what if it's not enough?"
*~*
"Mommy," Colleen said, as she took a seat at the kitchen table, "we're having waffles and strawberries? I thought that's for special times?"
"Well, sweetie," Chandler said, as he cut his daughter's waffle on her plate and added maple syrup, "this is a special time. Your mommy and I have some news we want to share with you."
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes growing huge. "Are we getting a puppy?"
"No," Chandler quickly answered. "No puppy. We're not getting a dog of any kind. At all. We're going to have something sooo much better than a puppy."
"What?" she asked, looking from her mother to her father.
"Some time next April," Monica said, "we're going to have a baby. You're going to be a big sister!"
"Oh boy! Really?"
"Yes, really," Chandler said. "Are you happy?"
Colleen nodded excitedly.
"Now, see, isn't getting a baby brother or sister waayyy better than getting a dog?"
Monica rolled her eyes at her husband's biased logic.
"I guess. I can't wait to see my new brother or sister. I'm sooo happy!"
"We are, too," Monica said, hugging her daughter.
Chandler hugged her next. "We know you are going to be the best big sister."
Colleen beamed as she ate her breakfast. She told her parents she couldn't wait to tell her cousins the news, but Monica cautioned her not to say anything.
"We want to tell Uncle Ross and Auntie Rachel first."
"Okay. What about Uncle Joey? Does he know?"
"No. You're the only other person we've told."
"Can I tell Uncle Joey? Please?"
"Let's wait a while," Monica said. "Maybe we can tell him when we tell Uncle Ross and Auntie Rachel."
"Can I call him to find out how Lily is doing?"
"And Phoebe," Chandler said. "You can call him. But if he's busy, don't keep him on the phone."
"I won't. I promise."
"She's growing up so fast," Chandler said wistfully, as he and Monica watched her sitting on the sofa like an adult with the phone in her hand.
"Hi, Uncle Joey. Are you busy?"
"Hi, sweetheart. No, I'm not busy."
"How is Lily? And Phoebe?"
"They're okay. We just finished breakfast."
Phoebe motioned that she wanted to talk to Monica.
"Honey," Joey said, "can you let your mom know that Phoebe wants to talk to her?"
"Mommy! Phoebe wants to talk to you."
Monica and Chandler shared a surprised look before Monica took the phone from her daughter.
"Hello."
"Hey, Monica."
"How are you, Phoebe?"
"Doin' okay. I'm sorry I didn't talk much yesterday. Colleen was so sweet to Lily, and well, I..."
"It's okay, honey. We know you're going through a very rough time. We understand."
"Do you think...would it be okay...are you doing anything this afternoon? Joey and I were talking, and he said he could take us to your place. I'd like to see it."
"Of course. We'd love to have you visit. Plan to stay for dinner, okay?"
"Okay. Dinner sounds nice. We'll see you later."
"Dinner at Monica's?" Joey said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect. "I think I like it!"
*~*
Lily clung to Phoebe until Colleen brought out her very special doll, Savannah. The three-year-old's dark eyes lit up and she pointed at it.
"Pretty," she said.
"You like that?" Phoebe asked.
She nodded and touched her mother's hair. "Looks like you."
"Wanna play with her?" Colleen asked.
Lily jumped off her mother's lap and made a beeline for the doll.
"I pretend she's my little sister, but now that Mommy's gonna have a..."
Looking stricken, Colleen covered her mouth with her hands.
"I'm sorry," she finally said.
"It's okay, sweetie. We can tell Phoebe and Joey."
"Tell us what?" Joey asked, his ears perking up at the possibility of being in the know. "What's going on? Don't keep us in suspense. Tell us!"
Joey's boyish antics made Phoebe and her daughter Lily laugh for the first time since they'd arrived.
"You haven't changed," Phoebe said. And somehow, that thought comforted her.
"What am I doing?" he asked, clearly confused. "I just wanna know what's goin' on!"
"If you'll give us a sec," Chandler said, "we'll tell you."
Joey sat back on the sofa and pouted, but it quickly turned to a smile when Monica told them she was pregnant again.
"Hey, congratulations you guys. That's wonderful news!"
The three adults shared a hug; Phoebe remained seated on the couch. Hearing Monica's news brought back more painful memories she'd rather not have to think about. She wished she could share in her friends' celebration, but she couldn't. The agony of what she'd endured before Ryan's assumed death was too much for her to bear.
Monica was the first to notice Phoebe's gloomy demeanor. She wished there was something she could do to make things easier for her friend.
*~*
When the phone rang late in the afternoon, Monica allowed Colleen to answer it. She was happy to hear her cousin's Emma voice.
"Whatcha doin'?" Emma asked.
"Nothin'. Uncle Joey and Phoebe are visiting with Lily. What about you?"
"I talked to a few of my friends and did some homework. Guess what?"
"What?"
"Next Saturday, my mom and I are going roller-skating in Central Park and then we're gonna have lunch somewhere nice and go shopping at all the big stores."
"Really?"
"Yep. And guess what else?"
"What? You and your mom can't come with us. This is just for my mom and me. It's a special day for the two of us."
"That's nice," Colleen said.
She felt bad that Emma told her she and her mom couldn't go with them, but it wasn't like she asked to go.
"I hope you have fun."
"I know we will. My dad has to baby-sit Jake. He won't be with us either, so I know I'll have a good time. I gotta go. My mom wants to talk to your mom."
"Okay."
Colleen handed the phone to Monica. After they exchanged pleasantries, Rachel told Monica she had a cooking question she needed to ask her. They talked for a few minutes more before Rachel told her she needed to get back to her dinner.
"That is so strange," Rachel said to Ross after she'd hung up the phone.
"What is?" Ross asked, looking up from the TV program he was watching on the Discovery Channel.
"I could've sworn I heard Joey's voice while I was talking to Monica."
"Are you sure?" Ross asked. "Maybe it was Chandler or maybe the TV was on."
"No, I distinctly heard Joey's voice. I think I heard Phoebe's, too."
"You did," Emma said. "Colleen said they were visiting."
"Really? I thought they said Phoebe wasn't up to having visitors?"
"Maybe she changed her mind," Ross said, not understanding what the big deal was.
"If she did, don't you think it would've been nice if they had included us? We told Monica and Chandler we wanted to see Phoebe and Lily."
"Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing. Why all the fuss?"
"Because this is not the first time Monica and Chandler have excluded us, Ross."
"It's not like we do everything together any more," he reasoned.
"I know, but still. This was something that we could've been included in and wanted to be a part of. I can't believe Phoebe specifically said don't invite Rachel and Ross and their kids."
"Do you want me to talk to my sister?"
"No, it's okay," Rachel said, beginning to calm down. "I guess, in the end, it's Phoebe's choice. But I will tell you one thing. I am going to start paying a lot closer attention to how much time we spend with them. I think something's going on, and I want to know what it is."
"Good morning," Joey said to Phoebe, when she walked, fully dressed, out of the spare bedroom. "Did you get any sleep? Did Lily?"
"Lily is still sleeping," Phoebe said, taking a seat on the stool at the counter across from Joey. She poured cereal and milk into a bowl Joey had waiting for her. "I slept some. I hope we didn't keep you awake."
"Nah. I heard Lily crying a little during the night, but that's all."
"She keeps having the same nightmare about her father."
"I'm sorry, Pheebs."
"I try to comfort her as much as I can, but what if it's not enough?"
*~*
"Mommy," Colleen said, as she took a seat at the kitchen table, "we're having waffles and strawberries? I thought that's for special times?"
"Well, sweetie," Chandler said, as he cut his daughter's waffle on her plate and added maple syrup, "this is a special time. Your mommy and I have some news we want to share with you."
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes growing huge. "Are we getting a puppy?"
"No," Chandler quickly answered. "No puppy. We're not getting a dog of any kind. At all. We're going to have something sooo much better than a puppy."
"What?" she asked, looking from her mother to her father.
"Some time next April," Monica said, "we're going to have a baby. You're going to be a big sister!"
"Oh boy! Really?"
"Yes, really," Chandler said. "Are you happy?"
Colleen nodded excitedly.
"Now, see, isn't getting a baby brother or sister waayyy better than getting a dog?"
Monica rolled her eyes at her husband's biased logic.
"I guess. I can't wait to see my new brother or sister. I'm sooo happy!"
"We are, too," Monica said, hugging her daughter.
Chandler hugged her next. "We know you are going to be the best big sister."
Colleen beamed as she ate her breakfast. She told her parents she couldn't wait to tell her cousins the news, but Monica cautioned her not to say anything.
"We want to tell Uncle Ross and Auntie Rachel first."
"Okay. What about Uncle Joey? Does he know?"
"No. You're the only other person we've told."
"Can I tell Uncle Joey? Please?"
"Let's wait a while," Monica said. "Maybe we can tell him when we tell Uncle Ross and Auntie Rachel."
"Can I call him to find out how Lily is doing?"
"And Phoebe," Chandler said. "You can call him. But if he's busy, don't keep him on the phone."
"I won't. I promise."
"She's growing up so fast," Chandler said wistfully, as he and Monica watched her sitting on the sofa like an adult with the phone in her hand.
"Hi, Uncle Joey. Are you busy?"
"Hi, sweetheart. No, I'm not busy."
"How is Lily? And Phoebe?"
"They're okay. We just finished breakfast."
Phoebe motioned that she wanted to talk to Monica.
"Honey," Joey said, "can you let your mom know that Phoebe wants to talk to her?"
"Mommy! Phoebe wants to talk to you."
Monica and Chandler shared a surprised look before Monica took the phone from her daughter.
"Hello."
"Hey, Monica."
"How are you, Phoebe?"
"Doin' okay. I'm sorry I didn't talk much yesterday. Colleen was so sweet to Lily, and well, I..."
"It's okay, honey. We know you're going through a very rough time. We understand."
"Do you think...would it be okay...are you doing anything this afternoon? Joey and I were talking, and he said he could take us to your place. I'd like to see it."
"Of course. We'd love to have you visit. Plan to stay for dinner, okay?"
"Okay. Dinner sounds nice. We'll see you later."
"Dinner at Monica's?" Joey said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect. "I think I like it!"
*~*
Lily clung to Phoebe until Colleen brought out her very special doll, Savannah. The three-year-old's dark eyes lit up and she pointed at it.
"Pretty," she said.
"You like that?" Phoebe asked.
She nodded and touched her mother's hair. "Looks like you."
"Wanna play with her?" Colleen asked.
Lily jumped off her mother's lap and made a beeline for the doll.
"I pretend she's my little sister, but now that Mommy's gonna have a..."
Looking stricken, Colleen covered her mouth with her hands.
"I'm sorry," she finally said.
"It's okay, sweetie. We can tell Phoebe and Joey."
"Tell us what?" Joey asked, his ears perking up at the possibility of being in the know. "What's going on? Don't keep us in suspense. Tell us!"
Joey's boyish antics made Phoebe and her daughter Lily laugh for the first time since they'd arrived.
"You haven't changed," Phoebe said. And somehow, that thought comforted her.
"What am I doing?" he asked, clearly confused. "I just wanna know what's goin' on!"
"If you'll give us a sec," Chandler said, "we'll tell you."
Joey sat back on the sofa and pouted, but it quickly turned to a smile when Monica told them she was pregnant again.
"Hey, congratulations you guys. That's wonderful news!"
The three adults shared a hug; Phoebe remained seated on the couch. Hearing Monica's news brought back more painful memories she'd rather not have to think about. She wished she could share in her friends' celebration, but she couldn't. The agony of what she'd endured before Ryan's assumed death was too much for her to bear.
Monica was the first to notice Phoebe's gloomy demeanor. She wished there was something she could do to make things easier for her friend.
*~*
When the phone rang late in the afternoon, Monica allowed Colleen to answer it. She was happy to hear her cousin's Emma voice.
"Whatcha doin'?" Emma asked.
"Nothin'. Uncle Joey and Phoebe are visiting with Lily. What about you?"
"I talked to a few of my friends and did some homework. Guess what?"
"What?"
"Next Saturday, my mom and I are going roller-skating in Central Park and then we're gonna have lunch somewhere nice and go shopping at all the big stores."
"Really?"
"Yep. And guess what else?"
"What? You and your mom can't come with us. This is just for my mom and me. It's a special day for the two of us."
"That's nice," Colleen said.
She felt bad that Emma told her she and her mom couldn't go with them, but it wasn't like she asked to go.
"I hope you have fun."
"I know we will. My dad has to baby-sit Jake. He won't be with us either, so I know I'll have a good time. I gotta go. My mom wants to talk to your mom."
"Okay."
Colleen handed the phone to Monica. After they exchanged pleasantries, Rachel told Monica she had a cooking question she needed to ask her. They talked for a few minutes more before Rachel told her she needed to get back to her dinner.
"That is so strange," Rachel said to Ross after she'd hung up the phone.
"What is?" Ross asked, looking up from the TV program he was watching on the Discovery Channel.
"I could've sworn I heard Joey's voice while I was talking to Monica."
"Are you sure?" Ross asked. "Maybe it was Chandler or maybe the TV was on."
"No, I distinctly heard Joey's voice. I think I heard Phoebe's, too."
"You did," Emma said. "Colleen said they were visiting."
"Really? I thought they said Phoebe wasn't up to having visitors?"
"Maybe she changed her mind," Ross said, not understanding what the big deal was.
"If she did, don't you think it would've been nice if they had included us? We told Monica and Chandler we wanted to see Phoebe and Lily."
"Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing. Why all the fuss?"
"Because this is not the first time Monica and Chandler have excluded us, Ross."
"It's not like we do everything together any more," he reasoned.
"I know, but still. This was something that we could've been included in and wanted to be a part of. I can't believe Phoebe specifically said don't invite Rachel and Ross and their kids."
"Do you want me to talk to my sister?"
"No, it's okay," Rachel said, beginning to calm down. "I guess, in the end, it's Phoebe's choice. But I will tell you one thing. I am going to start paying a lot closer attention to how much time we spend with them. I think something's going on, and I want to know what it is."