2.3 Is it Even Possible?
"Stop it, you're shaking the whole room. Stop it. Michelle!" Fanny snaps.
"What?"
"Stop shaking your leg. It's starting to worry me."
"Oh, sorry. I'm a little nervous."
"It'll be fine." Fanny is ecstatic that Michelle wants to have a baby for Hubbell. Maybe it will be a girl. She could be such a star. With her training and Michelle's energy, she'd be unstoppable in the ballet world.
"He's ready for you now," the receptionist says.
They both breathe deeply. Michelle raises her eyebrows and says, "here we go."
To herself, she whispers, "you can do this. You want to do this." They follow the receptionist to a bland office without much furniture. The receptionist leaves. The man behind the desk looks sour. Michelle pauses outside the room. She convinces herself to knock on the doorframe.
"Come in, come in," the man says without looking up from his papers. He seems to have lost something.
Fanny and Michelle sit down. Fanny sinks into her chair but Michelle can't relax. She is stiff as a board, ready to bolt. Fanny gives her an eyeball and she realizes how awkwardly she is sitting. She readjusts and the man starts talking.
"So, what brings you here today?" He looks up from his papers and sees Fanny first.
"Fanny! Fanny Flowers! So glad to see you! How is everything?"
"Everything is fine, Billy. I'd like to introduce you to my daughter-in-law, Michelle."
"Michelle, this is Billy Dupont. He was one of Hubbell's best friends growing up." She gives him a look and says out of the corner of her mouth, "But I understand they had a disagreement and haven't talked in years…"
"Guilty, Fanny. Man, I miss that goofball, though. How's old Hubbell Bubble doing?" They sit in silence, waiting for one of the women to answer.
"He's um, well," Michelle starts.
"He died, Billy."
"Oh my god. Fanny I am so sorry," he turns, realizing who Michelle is, "and you must've been his wife. So sorry. I can't believe it. We're the same age. Only two towns over, I should've called him ages ago." He starts to get really choked up. Fanny interrupts him before he loses it completely.
"Well, Billy, I know that you're surprised by this, but I have a favor to ask, or rather, Michelle does." Fanny nudges Michelle, who has started to tear up watching Billy get so upset.
"Billy, Fanny told me that Hubbell donated here years ago. Is there any way that it's still here? Could I maybe have his child even though he's not here now? It would mean so much, to all of us."
"Yeah, of course. Let me look into it. I'll give you gals a call later this afternoon if I find anything."
"Thank you, Billy. I know you were such good friends for years," Fanny says as they get up to leave.
"It might break some policies to do this, but I'll do it for you, Fanny, and of course for Hubbell and Michelle."
Michelle reaches out her hand to shake Billy's, but he grabs it and kisses her hand firmly.
"Hubbell really had good taste. Bye, Michelle. God you're beautiful."
"Bye, Billy," Fanny teases.
"Oh, and bye Fanny. I'll call later."
…
They get home a little late and the advanced ballet class is ready for Fanny to start teaching.
"Do you want to help me teach today?" Fanny asks.
"Sure," Michelle answers, "I need something to take my mind off of all this. Do you mind if I dance a little?"
"Not at all; I love when you dance."
"Really?" Michelle grins back at Fanny.
"Well, most of the time. That routine you did two weeks ago with the adult tap class was awful. I don't know where you thought of that choreography."
"You know you kill tender moments, right?" Fanny turns quickly and heads to the dance studio. She doesn't let Michelle see her smile at that remark.
"Get changed and get in here if you're joining," Fanny yells over her shoulder.
…
"Pirouettes," Fanny announces, "Demi, demi, full."
"Michelle, shoulders… and where are you looking?"
"Sorry, I'm distracted."
"You can't be in my classes if you're going to demonstrate poor technique to my students."
With that, Fanny's cell phone goes off in the house.
"Your phone!" Michelle exclaims.
"Do you have sonic hearing or something?" Sasha snaps.
"I didn't hear it, but go answer it," Fanny tells her.
The students stare in amazement. Fanny notices and says, "She's waiting on important news… Plus she's really not a student… Never use your phones here."
They giggle secretly and Fanny orders, "back to the barre!"
…
The class leaves and Michelle walks into the room like a zombie. She has Fanny's phone in her hand. Fanny sees her expression, and goes to comfort her.
"It's okay, Michelle. No harm done. I didn't think you were sure anyway; it'll be fine."
"What?" Michelle asks, "you didn't think I was sure?"
"I didn't mean it like that, it's just, now you can be free. Go perform and don't look back. Just because they couldn't find…"
Michelle interrupts, "they found it. Hubbell's donation was there. I'm going to be a mom. I'm going to do this."
Fanny doesn't say anything for so long that Michelle starts to think she's had a brain aneurism.
"Fanny?"
"We need a party!" Fanny finally says.
"What?" Michelle says, surprised. "Fanny, nothing's happened yet. Let's hold off on a party at least until I conceive. Otherwise it would just be a sperm party. I don't know that the people of Paradise would want to come to that."
"Oh, nonsense. Everyone comes to my parties, no matter the occasion, but you might be right. Did you set up an appointment?"
"Next week! They didn't have one sooner." Michelle is so excited.
…
Michelle lies in bed that night and can't fall asleep. She never thought this would be her life: a widow at her age, after a whirlwind marriage that she barely remembers. It seems like something a Kardashian would do. She lifts up her shirt and places her hand on her flat stomach. She imagines how it might look as it gets bigger. She keeps reminding herself not to get her hopes up. Nothing is finalized yet. She falls asleep with her hand resting on her bare skin and feels Hubbell's big, soft hand on top of hers.
He whispers, "I love you so much."
She grins in her sleep and snuggles more deeply into the pillows.