“ Well, I finished shucking the corn. I wrapped it. It’s ready for grilling.”, Simone said, as she was stirring a concoction.

” What do you have there?”, Reese asked, looking into the bowl.

” It’s an herb butter. It will go great with the corn and potatoes.”

Reese watched Simone as she worked on her creation. Once she finished her butter, she began work on dessert. Reese went over to her and held her arm.

” Simone, don’t you think we need to talk about it?”

” Reese, your parents are kind enough to give me a place to stay. The least I could do is make dinner.”

” I’m sure my parents appreciate it, Simone, but you’ve been through hell.”

“ Nothing is going to change, Reese. I’m still in hell. My parents are still split. I have a new sibling on the way. My friendship with Kay is gone. So, let me fix a good dinner. I’m too tired to cry right now.”

Reese looked at Simone and nodded. “ I’m going to check on Mom.”

Reese left Simone and went to see his mother. He kissed her on the cheek. “ Hi Mom.”

” What is wrong, Reese?”

” Simone. She’s in a bad way. In so much pain, and I can ‘t help her. “

” Maybe you should do some tricks for her.”

” Tricks? Mom, what are you talking about?”

” Magic always helps me.”

Reese looked at his mother, and then smiled. “ You’re right….tricks.”

The Durke family ate dinner, and Simone was clearing off the dishes, when Reese stopped her. “ Simone, I’ll do the dishes, but first, I have something to show you.”

” Reese, what? I’m ok with the dishes.”

” No. Go into the den with my parents.”

Simone looked at him as they walked to the den. “ Sit next to my parents.”

Simone turned to Mr. Durke, “ What is he doing?” Mr. Durke shrugged his shoulders.

Reese dimmed the lights, and then put on the colored track lighting.

“ Introducing….the fabulous Reese.”

Simone looked to the door and there was Reese, in a top hat and a black cape. He wheeled in a cart full of things.

“ It seems as if there is a new guest in the audience tonight.” Reese walked over to Simone and pulled flowers out of his handkerchief and handed them to her. “ For the lady.” Simone smiled a bit and Reese continued with the magic show.

It was good, small tricks building into bigger tricks. Anything that Reese could think od to do, he did. And, Simone seemed to enjoy it. The final trick was Reese ultimately releasing a dove. Mr. And Mrs. Durke and Simone all applauded wildy, and cheered Reese on. Simone went up to Reese.

“ This was so wonderful. I….I can’t believe you did this for me.”, Simone said, bursting into tears and running out of the room. Reese looked sadly at his mother.

“ You did a good thing.”, Mrs. Durke said. “ A good thing.”

After Reese cleaned up all of his magician’s belongings, he went to find Simone. He found her sitting underneath a tree, on a bench.

” You know, my Dad gave this bench to my Mom on their 10th wedding anniversary.”

” Really?”

” Yeah. He told her it was their ‘special place’. Where they could talk about anything and nothing. I think that’s a good rule. I’m going to sit here, and you can say anything or nothing to me. Either one is fine with me.”

Simone looked down on the ground, and her hand inched closer to Reese’s, to where they were hand in hand. Mr. Durke had wheeled his wife to the window, and they were both looking at their yard.

” Remind you of another couple?”, Mr. Durke asked his wife, kissing her.

” Oh yes. Kay Bennett is but a faint memory.”
 
 

Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald was in the middle of cooking when she heard a knock at her backdoor. She went to open it.

” Eve.”

” Hello, Pilar. Is Whitney still here?”

” Yes. She’s in Theresa’s room. You go and see her. “

Eve nodded and was about to leave the room when she heard Pilar.

” Eve?”

” Yes, Pilar.”

” I’m so sorry.”

” Thanks. Not nearly as sorry as I am.”

Eve went to Theresa’s room and knocked on the door. “ Whitney, Honey, it’s Mom.”

Theresa opened the door. “ Hi, Dr. Russell.”

” Hello, Theresa.”

” I’m going to go check on Mama.”

Theresa left and Eve entered the room. Whitney was sitting up on Theresa’s bed.

” Hi.”

” Mom.”

Eve sat down next to Whitney.

“ How are you doing?”

” Oh, I think I’m just peachykeenfine, Mom. Daddy’s an adulterer, but hey, that’s life, right?”

” Whitney, I know it’s hard for you.”

” How are you?”

” Still trying to process everything. I never thought my marriage would end. Not like this, anyhow.”

” How could he do something like this to us?”

” I have no explanations. I’m aching from every part of my body. I don’t want to, but I am. The only thing keeping me going is thinking about you two girls. You are my life now. I don’t have anything else.”

” How is Simone?”

” Upset, but handling it pretty well, all things considering. Of course, she knows all the truth, and I think I should tell it to you too.”

” What…there’s more? How could there be more?”

“ The more is that you don’t know the identity of the woman involved.”

” Do I really need to know who the tramp is?”

” I think you do. The woman your father had the affair with is Grace Bennett.”

Whitney stared at her mother and then shook her head.

” You have to be wrong about that.”

” I wish I was wrong. With every fiber of my being, I want to be wrong. But, I’m not wrong. Your father had an affair with Grace and they’re going to have a child together.”

” I was wrong. This DID just get worse.”

” Honey, your father has moved out. I know that you might need your space. I’m at home if you need me. I want you to be there with me, but we each have to deal with this situation in our own way.”

” Mom, what are you going to do?”

” Get a divorce. Start a new life.”

” Is it really over? Really ?”

” Yes, Whitney. There’s no going back.”, Eve said, tears brimming over. Whitney and Eve hugged one another, just sobbing.