It was a rainy, breezy morning in early April. Abigail was on her way to her first class when she came upon a group of younger students standing around in the hallway outside the classroom, deeply absorbed in conversation.
"What happened?" she asked, hugging her textbooks close. "Was class canceled?"
"No, man," one of the boys told her. She saw that he had an earring in one ear. "Kurt Cobain was found dead this morning."
Abigail frowned. "Who?"
"Kurt Cobain. You know, the lead singer for Nirvana." The young man looked at her as if he thought she was dense. "Shot himself. Man, what a bummer!"
Embarrassed, Abigail walked into the classroom and sat down in her usual seat. She wondered what kind of music Nirvana performed. She decided to ask Rhoda the next time she saw her.
"Oh yes, Heather was really upset about that," her friend told her later that day. "She has all the Nirvana CD's."
"What kind of music does Nirvana perform?"
"It's called grunge," Rhoda told her. "It's kind of like punk rock but sometimes tends to be more emotional and melancholy."
"I remember how I felt when I found out what happened to John Lennon," Abigail remarked. "Heather must have felt similar to the way I felt then."
In June, Abigail received a telephone call from Joanie Arcola.
"I haven't heard from you in ages!" Abigail exclaimed. "How have you been?"
"I've been all right," said Abigail. "I just finished my freshman year of college with a 3.24 GPA."
"Excellent!" Joanie exclaimed. "I know Jack's proud of you."
"Oh, he was a real sweetheart," Abigail replied. "He took me out for the nicest dinner that evening. Told me I was going to make an even better teacher that he is. No way, I told him."
The two women laughed.
"Chachi and I have always thought you two were the most happily married couple we know," said Joanie. "Hey, I was wondering, would you like to meet me at the mall this Saturday afternoon? It would give us the chance to catch up on things."
"Sounds great," Abigail replied. "The kids have a play date, and Sharon's doing something too, so that would be perfect!"
Abigail looked forward to reconnecting with her oldest friend. After lunch Saturday, she drove to the mall and parked at the entrance closest to the food court. She entered the mall and looked around for her friend. Joanie, who was sitting at one of the tables, saw her at just about the same time. She stood and walked toward Abigail, and the two women embraced.
"It's so good to see you again!" Joanie exclaimed. "Want a soda?"
"Sure!"
The women bought their drinks and returned to the table at which Joanie had been sitting.
"I just got the most wonderful surprise!" said Joanie. "Lisa's pregnant!"
"Really?" Abigail's mind raced. If Lisa was pregnant, then Joanie and Chachi were going to be grandparents - and so were David and Ellen!
Joanie nodded. "Chachi and I are thrilled! I was thinking maybe I could do a little shopping for the baby this afternoon. It isn't due until February, so there's plenty of time."
"Congratulations!" Abigail swallowed hard. "When did you find out?"
"Lisa went to the doctor Wednesday. She called me as soon as she got home."
Neither Mom nor Ellen ever called me, Abigail reflected, and I'm sure Matthew would have told them.
"Is something wrong?" asked Joanie.
"Oh, no. Everything's fine," Abigail replied.
"How are the children?" asked Joanie.
"They're fine! They both got good report cards. They're taking swimming lessons this summer, too. How's Tony?"
"He's doing great! He's still working as an accountant, and he just got engaged to a girl named Vicky. I haven't met her yet, but she sounds nice."
The women finished their soft drinks and began to walk the length of the mall. In one of the big department stores, Joanie bought yellow, white, and mint green crib sheets and hooded towels, and Abigail bought a sun dress for Julie, two pairs of shorts for Jackson, and scented candles.
Soon it was time to pick Jackson and Julie up from their play date, so Abigail said goodbye to her friend and left the mall. After picking the children up and driving them home, she was tired, so Jack watched them while she took a nap. Later, she made pigs in blankets, green beans, and corn on the cob for dinner.