Whitney steeled herself and rang the doorbell. A man answered.

“ May I help you?”

” Hello, I’m Whitney Russell. I heard Simone was here. I’d like to see her.”

” Of course, Whitney. Come in.”

Whitney came into the house and she followed Mr. Durke to the family room. Simone and Reese were playing scrabble with Mrs. Durke.

“ Whitney? What are you doing here?”

” I…I came to see you.”

“ Um, why don’t we go take a walk.”

Reese looked at Simone, “ You ok with this?”

” It’s Whitney. It’s fine.”

Whitney and Simone went out to the Durke garden and sat down on a beautiful iron bench.

“How are you?”, Whitney asked, pulling Simone in for a hug.

“ I’m ok.”, Simone replied, but tears formed in her eyes. Whitney handed her a handkerchief and began crying with her.  After they had cried for a bit, they composed themselves.

” How is Mom?”, Simone asked.

” She’s doing ok. She’s back home. Daddy’s out.”

” Yeah, I know.”

” Simone, do you know how this happened?”

Simone looked at Whitney and shook her head. “ Whitney, a few days ago, we had a happy, loving family. I believed in Mom and Dad above everything. Now, not only is my father an adulterer, but he’s having a baby with another woman. And, not just any woman, but my GODMOTHER, Grace Bennett. I’ve lost my family, my father, and my best friend.”

” Oh my goodness, Kay.”

” Yeah, Kay. That friendship is down the toilet.”

” What, she’s DEFENDING her mother?”

” Actually, I never gave Kay the chance. I was so pissed, I went off on all of them: Kay, Jessica and Charity. I didn’t stick around for a rebuttal.”

” Oh.”

“ So, I think that friendship is over.”

” If you want it to be, ok. If not, let time pass and cool down. “

” How could I be friends with Kay, with all that’s happening?”

” Simone, don’t you think that Kay’s going through the same thing? Her family’s destroyed. Her parent’s marriage is gone. And, she’s about to have a sibling that she doesn’t want either. I’d say the two of you are in the same boat.”

” I guess.”

” So, how did you wind up here at the Durke’s house?”

” Reese is my tutor.”

” Um, Simone.”

” Whitney, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say that I’m not interested in Reese. But, for now, he’s being a fabulous friend. It’s all I can handle right now.”

” I understand.”

” I just couldn’t stay at the house right now. It’s so painful, ya know?”

” Yeah. I do. But, I’ll be there with Mom.”

” Thanks a lot for that. I know she needs one of us. I wish it could be me.”

” She understands. She wants for all of us to make it through as sanely as possible.”

” I don’t know if we can make it through.”

” Of course we will.” Whitney picks up Simone’s hand and kisses it. “ We’ll be there for each other and Mom.”

” Whitney, will anything ever look good again?”

Whitney puts her arm around Simone and hugs her. “ I don’t know. But, I know we don’t stand a chance if we don’t stick together. Mom needs us, and I need you. You’re my sister, Simone. I love you. I’m so sorry about me and Chad..”

Simone laughs. “ You know, that’s so insignificant, Whitney. Whatever I thought I felt for Chad, it wasn’t love. I can’t waste my life on it anymore. You as my sister, is way more important than whatever I thought was important. I’ve lost what REALLY was important – my father and family. I forgive you, Whitney.”

Whitney had tears in her eyes. “ Thank you, Simone. I really needed to hear it.”
 

Grace was in the middle of knitting when she heard the doorbell ring. She went to open it.

“ Eve!”

Eve looks down at the knitting needle in Grace’s hand. “ Knitting something for the baby?”, Eve said with sarcasm.

Grace looked Eve in the eye, “ Is there something you want?”

Eve stepped into the house without being asked. “ We need to discuss somethings.”

Grace followed Eve into the living room. Eve looked at the pamphlets on the table. “ Helpful hints for older mothers……My, we are being such the good mother, aren’t we Grace?”

” Eve, I don’t feel comfortable talking with you about my baby.”

” Ah, don’t you mean your and TC’s baby?”

” Ok, yes.”

” But, why not, Grace. After all, we were best friends, right? I mean, we did everything together. I just didn’t know that we both fucked MY husband!”

” Eve..”

” Damn you, Grace! All I want to do right now is beat you senseless. I know violence never resolves anything, but I have the overwhelming urge to use all my physical force and beat you!”

” Eve..”

” Shut up! Just, SHUT UP! I’ve done some wrong things in my life, Grace. I really have. The irony is that I thought my marriage would be destroyed because of my past. I never thought my past would become irrelevant.  So long I worried about my past, and my secrets, never thinking that it would be possible for TC to do anything that I couldn’t forgive. But, sleeping with you and having a baby – that would do it. I’ve lost so much. My marriage. My family. My friendship with you. Was it worth it, Grace? I just want to know how someone who is supposedly a paragon of virtue, who lived her life in the TRUTH could commit such sin, and not seem to care that she did? Was it all an act, Grace? Were you always a snake in the grass, just waiting for your time to pounce?”

By this time, the tears flowed down Grace’s face. “ Eve, I never wanted to hurt you. Or Sam. Or my children. It was one moment in time…it…”

Eve shook her head. “ I thought I was strong enough for this, but I’m not.”

Eve ran out of the Bennett house, leaving the door open.