Whispers from the vicinity of the back door of the kitchen alerted me to an illegal venture. I heard the door furtively open. “Shh! Quiet, now! Can’t let Momma hear us! She’ll make us stay inside!”

“Okay, we be quiet, Jack! I gonna play in the dirt!”

“Me, too, I wanna make mud pies! You wanna make mud pies, Anthony?”

“Yeah, ‘Wyna! And I gonna make a mud castle!”

“Quiet, you two! Sylvana, is Mom in the hallway?”

Silence. Then, “Nope. Trista, stop hitting me!”

“Okay, let’s go . . .!”

Ah, those little sneaks!

Clever of them to take advantage of my vacuuming the living room to make their escape. Had I not shut the thing off when I did, I might not have known of their scheme for who knows how long. I probably would’ve thought them still playing upstairs. Quietly, for their father still slept in the room next to Jack and Anthony’s. No one wanted to wake him before he was ready to wake up on his own!

I could scream at them to stop right where they were; I could dash across the hall to the kitchen, dodging table, chairs, and toys to collar them at the back door. Or wait—it might be quicker to sprint down the hallway, through the stairwell, and into the kitchen that way—which would put me right at the back door.

Screaming would be quicker, but that would undoubtedly rouse Shaine. Shoving the upright vacuum aside, I snuck around to the back door by way of the hallway and stairwell route as fast as an irritated mother could run on tiptoes.

They were already out the door. Which Jack, my ten-year-old, was about to pull softly shut. I jerked it from his hand. He gasped, stepped backwards into the twins, pushing them further out onto the porch. My outraged glare swept from Jack to his equally guilty younger brother and sisters.

“Where do you think you’re going? You were told, more than once, you cannot play out here! It’s too dangerous! What about that don’t you understand?”

Sylvana, eight, commanded Baby Trista to stop yanking at her arm. Then, her blue eyes big and wide, she wheedled, “We’ll stay away from the edge, Ma. Honest!”

Ha . . . right!

This business of settling Eustace’s estate had been going on for almost three weeks, and the kids were handling it horribly. I said with impatience, “Look, how many times have I told you? Eustace fell over that cliff over there, trying to put that fence up. Nobody’s finished the job! It’s a fifty foot fall onto those railroad tracks! No way are you playing out there! I swear your father must’ve been crazy wanting to stay in this place! Me, too, for agreeing to come! Get in here! Right now!”

They complied—grumbling.

Redheaded, five-year-old Allyna scowled at me. “You no fun, Momma!”

”Yeah!” declared her lisping twin, Anthony, “Sanks to Eustath, I’m bored!”

“Yeah!” Jack echoed, “Thanks to Eustace, we got nothing to do!”

As if Eustace had deliberately planned it this way. Pretty sure he would’ve rather have kept living.

Amid a chorus of complaints, objections, and protestations, I herded them inside. The fact they’d packed my life with considerable stress from the first hour of our arrival eroded my sympathy, even though many of their complaints were valid.

Really, in my opinion, the death of my husband’s cousin didn’t merit the children and me remaining here past the day of the funeral. I would have happily packed up the kids and gone home the instant that shovelful of dirt was cast upon the coffin. Let my husband deal with all the legalese that needed to be cared for, all by himself.

Eustace, an only child whose parents had been gone for years, had no closer relatives he’d cared about. Just Shaine.

As summer vacation had begun for the kids, Shaine’d deemed it an excellent opportunity for our kids to meet our home state, West Virginia. So, here we still were, weeks later.

“How can you say this gorgeous mountain scenery is boring?” I demanded. “And I thought you liked these thrilling roller coaster roads that have nothing much to keep you from disappearing over their edges—like this back yard—and front yard! Lost your appreciation?”

“Yeah!” Jack struck a pose and glared with resentment.

“We was sick, huh, Anthony?”

“Yeah! Me ‘n’ ‘Wyna was sick!”

“I wanna go home!” exclaimed Sylvana melodramatically. “I miss Connecticut!”

Even Baby Trista eyed me accusingly.

Unequal, at the moment, to deal with this challenge, I waved them away. “Go find something else to do besides fight and trash the place. You’re making me nuts!”

Five seconds later, they were at it again. Well, what else was new? Heh. What else was there for them to do? Really, they generally got along well. Being forced to stay cooped up inside just brought out the worst in them.

Had I known we were going to be here for this long, I would have packed way more toys and things for them. Or had refused to come in the first place. Maybe I could take them shopping for a toy each and a treat later. Maybe. If I still had some sanity left.

Honestly, refusing to come had been my first reaction. The fact that most of my family still resided right where they had before I’d left West Virginia with Shaine eleven years ago had been the only reason I agreed to accompany him. I hadn’t seen many of them in years since Shaine hadn’t wanted to return very often. His family, especially his brothers, came up often. Too often, in my opinion.

But, probably, it was my jealousy that made me feel that way. I wished my sisters could’ve been free enough to have come more often. But Cara Mia loved to travel and made most of her living from a successful travel blog. Once in a while, she’d find a reason to come our way, just wasn’t often enough to satisfy me.

Brette Nikole and her family had come a little more often until she’d lost her husband and one of her sons last winter. They’d taken their four kids skating on a small pond near their place. While the ice had been thick enough over most of its area, it wasn’t quite in one spot—and her husband, Mason, and her two youngest whom he’d been pulling on a sled, fell through. Mason somehow managed to rescue three year-old Mayley, but when he went back in for Mikey, five—

So, things’ve been tough for her.

I’d tried getting together with her a few times since we’d arrived—for the kids’ sakes as well as my own. So far no date had worked for it. Something always came up to ruin the plan.

Story of my life.

The thud of stumbling footsteps in the upstairs hallway, followed by a few oaths and the crash of toys being kicked aside, signaled Shaine was finally up. He thumped down the stairs and wandered into the kitchen, unkempt and bleary-eyed, clad only in jeans. Poised at the sink, I looked him over.

“No Attorney Lloyd today? Does this mean we can head home??”

“There’s a few things more to take care of . . . . Eustace had a few creditors to pay. Happily he did have a will. . . . I suppose I—we should think about stuff like that—you know . . . making out a will, unpleasant as it is to consider . . . I mean, one minute your life is all sunshine and roses, and the next . . .” He delivered a peck to my cheek. “Anna Lynn . . . Eustace left me a good bit of cash and . . . and the house. Been thinking of moving back here, and this way, we can move right in—”

Surely his brains had tumbled over that fifty foot drop just as Eustace had!

“This house? This ugly nightmare of tiny rooms, no closets, and drafty halls? I mean, the place is set in a hole! I just love gazing at a forty foot wall of dirt and grass outside my windows! And look, it’s only five feet away! And then there’s that drop off, that cliff in the back and side yards—”

“All right, all right! There’s more than five feet out there. And the front yard is decent sized, Anna! You know, the house can be fixed up. I can get someone to come finish the fencing. But, fine . . . we can talk about it later!” Pressing a hand to his head, he sighed and groaned at the same time.

I wanted to debate this moving back here business right now. How long had he been thinking about it? Months? Days? Years? Just got the notion this morning—or whenever it was he’d learned the place had been left to him?

Really, I’d be okay with that. Just not okay with calling this place home!

With considerable force of will, I let it go for now, inquiring instead, “Another headache?”

“Yeah. It’ll pass; but I’ve let everyone know I’m not feeling the best today. It’s just us.” Another peck. (I hate pecks.) “What’s for breakfast?”

“Breakfast?”

Swiftly, Shaine ascertained my mood. “Lunch then,” he amended.

I folded my arms. “Sandwiches!”

“Fine. Whatever you feel like fixing.”

I felt like fixing nothing. Who wanted to think about lunch while the breakfast dishes still lurked in the sink?

Still, having Shaine all to ourselves would be worth some sacrifice. Probably be for the first time in months if I put myself to the trouble of thinking about it. A short while after Trista’s birth, thirteen months ago, he’d begun to change toward me.

Toward us all, really. Indifference . . . impatience . . . irritation . . . irrational . . .

Nothing I did seemed to please him. And I’d killed myself to take off all the excess weight I’d gained with four pregnancies. Everything the kids did gave him a headache. Rarely did he play with them. Seemed he was the happiest when he could be alone.

Since he worked remotely from home, he holed up in his office/mancave for longer than the usual work hours. Which was hard on the kids as well as for me. He sure didn’t want us coming down to hunt him up!

When he was in a mood to associate with the world, he filled our house with his friends. Whether one guy or several, I was expected to drop whatever else I was dealing with at the time, and cater to them.

And for the last month before Eustace’s death, there were a couple who never seemed to leave. Which really bugged me and the kids.

“How come Daddy only wants them around?” Jack had wondered darkly. “How come he doesn’t do things with us anymore?”

I asked Shaine that a couple of times and got my head bitten off for asking. So . . .

Shouldn’t have been a surprise to me that he’d quickly settled into a similar pattern here as well. From the first day we arrived at Eustace’s old house, somebody had to be entertained for meals. Generally, it had been his three brothers, his parents, and Attorney Lloyd. But it could include anyone else who’d wandered in for the day and/or night.

Shaine’s friends and brothers dropped in at any hour they felt like it. Often without so much as a phone call to check to see if it was all right. Yesterday, I’d come downstairs to start breakfast and there’s his youngest brother sleeping quite peacefully upon the kitchen table! No place for him anywhere in the living room. All seats were occupied, as was most of the floor space. Have no idea when he’d come in. He hadn’t been here when I went up to bed.

Then there’d been the occasions Shaine had gone off to the lawyer’s office and had never come home. I suspect he’d spent the night at his parents’ place or maybe with one of his brothers. I could have called, sure. But—with how he’d probably react if I did, I just didn’t.

Was a wonder that no one had spent the night last night nor had anyone moseyed in for breakfast this morning. I should have been grateful for that.

Okay, I was but I had hoped that it could be different while we were obliged to stay here for however long we had to. But no. Nothing changed. And I was tired of the extra work and the kids’ endless bickering. I just wanted this business to be done with so we could go back home. At least there, we had room to get away from each other, and the kids had room to roam way more freely!

Moreover, it was going to be the worst summer ever for me if random things kept happening to keep me apart from my family and friends here!

Those headaches of Shaine’s seemed more frequent of late. I really believed, at first, that they were an excuse to wheedle out of doing things with the kids and me.

As it was, I’d been the one who taught the kids how to play ball, ride a bike, bowl, swim, help with chores and, well . . . whatever. Trista’s first steps, her first words, had occurred while he’d been holed up in his mancave with his buddies and two of his brothers who had come up for a visit that’d lasted a couple of weeks. Okay, they’d helped him with a work project he was having issues with. But still—

After that, they’d played cards and watched whatever sports event was on at the time on his new big screen TV. I pretty much saw him long enough on those occasions to stick a tray of food or some beer on some surface cleared for it, and that was it.

The only thing that had kept me from packing up and heading off for a stay at one of my relatives—none of whom were close by—was a niggling fear something might really be wrong. This wasn’t the guy I’d married eleven years ago. That guy had been caring, witty and fun. He couldn’t seem to get enough of being with me back then. With the kids.

Now . . . .

When, finally, I suggested he go see a doctor about those migraines, he’d snapped, “It’s just stress, Anna Lynn! Back off!”

Rarely one to force an issue, I backed off. God knew I didn’t want to contribute to or be the cause of his stress! By the time of Eustace’s death, I’d quit offering support.

And, my love for him began to fade . . .

Be nice if today we got the chance to connect again. Maybe rekindle a little of what we’d lost.

What would that be like?

The kids thundered in derailing my thoughts, and they exuberantly tackled their father. “Dad! Dad! Will you play with us today?”

“Yeah, Mom’th no fun!”

“There’s nuffin to do!”

“You’re always gone! Or got friends over!”

“Yeah, you don’t care about us anymore! It’s not fair—"

Even Baby Trista shook a finger at him and babbled her two cents.

“All right, all right! Quiet—all of you!” Shaine put a hand to his head, annoyance and some anger in his expression. I thought he’d order them all to disappear someplace. He surprised us all by visibly curbing his irritation and saying, “Look, how about we all go for a ride after lunch. We could go into town and you kids could play in the park. Okay?”

My arms loaded up with mustard, mayonnaise, and ham and cheese, I fannied the refrigerator door shut. “Really? All of us together? Awesome!”

The kids cheered and parked themselves at the table, eager to get the meal over with.

How wonderful it was to have a meal as a family! No one else added. Granted, the kids monopolized the conversation, but we’d have our time later when they were asleep. Was I ever looking forward to that!

In fact, I was looking forward to an excursion to the park as much as the kids were. Maybe getting outside and doing something fun together would put everyone in a better mood. Which could make Our Time later a better time.

Then came a knock at the door.

And in walked a buddy of Shaine’s I’ve never been able to warm up to. Roger Farrington’s meticulous appearance, his insincere charm, that affected laugh, nauseated me still.

The kids groaned in unison. I managed to keep mine inward. But possibly it showed in my face.

“Am I intruding, Shaine Man? I’ll stay just a second! Just got back from a business trip and heard you’ve been in town a while. Thought I’d stop in quick and say hi!” He sidestepped to warmly clasp my hand. “Anna Lynn, you still look seventeen!”

I smiled politely, (actually I finally looked twenty-one, although I was ten years older than that), and I conveyed a silent imploration to Shaine to get rid of him.

Useless.

Yep, yep, story of my life!

“Sit! Help yourself! Nothing fancy! Anna Lynn, get him a plate and a cup! So, Rog, what’s new? How’s Jan?”

“She’s left me,” lamented Roger, accepting the seat at Shaine’s right, where he commanded Shaine’s attention and the rest of the sandwiches and the fruit.

While I applauded Jan’s good sense, Roger mourned his loss and licked our platters clean. After that, he and Shaine removed to the living room. Shaine’s brothers, Brice and Skip wandered in two minutes after I’d cleared the table.

They ordered lunch and joined Shaine and Roger in the living room. Wherein they embarked upon a thousand topics. Roger’s “second” stretched to suppertime and beyond. And of course, Brice and Skip could easily be staying the night.

I saw Our Time dissolving like an Alka-Seltzer tablet. And I’d be needing several of those if the guys overstayed their welcome. That and/or a case of good wine.

Deep frustration, anger at being treated as Slave of the World, plus having to deal with the kids’ worst behavior yet—provoked by the abandonment of the park excursion—gave me a thumping headache. Which peaked acutely, when, as I came downstairs—battle weary from making and serving supper and finally winning the battle of getting the kids to bed—and here’s the guys heading out the door to go look up some other old pals.

His headache apparently healed, out sauntered Shaine, one hand on Rog’s shoulder, the other arm around Brice’s, his glance including Skip. “Maybe we can get up a party later . . I’ll get some stuff . . . ”

Of course, they all took him up on that generous offer!

I groaned my despair and resentment aloud. Oh, never have I agreed with Shaine’s free and easy views of hospitality. I stand by mine that 99.9% of his friends and family should go home before the week was out! No, no—before the day was!

Standing yet on the staircase, I drummed the railing. How was I to prevent the intrusion of unwanted guests when I could never do it before. Too much of a wimp, really.

My restless drumming stopped; I drew in a horrified breath. My God, he could come home with everybody! There was a dozen or more of his ‘best’ friends and favorite relatives he’d promised to spend time with while we were here. Would be just like him to invite them over for an all nighter . . . which I’d likely have to cater. He might even offer the kids’ beds as soon as floor space was filled!

Of course, Skip would claim the kitchen table.

My thoughts whirled wildly for a few seconds, then calmed down. My first inclination was to run out and demand that Shaine stay and the others leave, tossing in the age old ultimatum of it’s either them or me.

But then I had another thought.

If I could only persuade some people to come over for a while, then, when Shaine returned, he could drown in a sea of my friends and relatives.

I drummed the railing again.

Was worth a shot. If it happened, YAY! If not . . . well, hey. Story of my life, right?

Now . . . where’d I lay my cell phone?

I found it on the coffee table under some Field and Stream magazines. Took a while to find someone who could come over on such short notice. It wasn’t precisely a sea, but hey—even a pond could serve my purposes.

Too bad Connecticut wasn’t right next door. I had a few good friends back there who might have dropped everything to come to an impromptu girl fest.

Guen and Graci Garrison, the only ones who’d accepted my invitation initially, had snatched their cousin Kate from her family, claiming it was time she had some time away. That made my pond a tad deeper.

I’d just started to pull the door shut behind them when, to my shocked amazement, both my sisters rounded the corner of the house. At once, they hollered to me to hold the door as their arms were full of goodies. Behind them, bearing more sacks of snacks and drinkage, came our favorite cousins, Tessa and Vanessa. Well, I was just so thrilled that something was turning out right for once, I couldn’t do more than grin foolishly and give huge hugs all around!

Plus, my friends and family had come with a ton of good eats. Shaine’s only came with the beer—occasionally. Such a welcome change this was!

We’d been a club in our younger days, Guen, Graci, Kate, my sisters and cousins, and I. With that many inventive, imaginative, impetuous minds all in one spot—well, let’s just say our parents were just short of needing straitjackets by the time we graduated high school.

Every one of our mothers, and some of our fathers, claimed their white hair came from trying to keep one step ahead of us, and they refused to color it or disguise it. Said they’d earned every one of those white hairs, and they were silver badges of honor and achievement! They would wear them with pride, a symbol to parents everywhere, that yes, one could survive the schemes their offspring devised to drive them completely out of their minds!

Still, they’d recognized that our adventurous spirits weren’t inclined to anything really illegal, so no one ever ordered us to disband nor limited our association with one another. But as life goes on, people move on, and ties weaken, if not broken altogether.

The instant they bustled through the door, though, it was as if we’d never been apart. We laughed, giggled, caught up with the latest news of each other’s lives, and all related gossip. After that, we naturally began to reminisce. I forgot, for a while, the real reason I’d asked them over.

“Here, Brette, pass me those cookies and some of those brownies.” Vanessa, seated on the floor beside Cara Mia’s end of the sofa, reached up to take them from her. “I wish the Martins still grew a garden. I could go for those tomatoes and those deliciously sweet carrots they used to grow! Crazy, wasn’t it? A bunch of kids like us more interested in raiding gardens than wheedling junk food out of our mothers.”

“I’m for those crisp crunchy apples in the Smith’s orchard, myself,” I said as I came back from the kitchen where I’d made us a fresh pitcher of iced peach tea. “And the blueberries . . . they grew the biggest, sweetest ones I’ve ever had!”

Taking up a small bowl of salsa, I made Cara Mia scooch over so I could wedge myself between Brette Nikole and Kate. We always sat in ABC order and used to have anxious fits as kids if we weren’t able to do it. Although we’d all gone our different ways, we fell into old habits the instant we were together.

Totally understanding of that fact, Kate made a little more room for me as she stated, “I dream about raiding gardens and berry patches . . . climbing those apple trees in the dead of night—hoping no one discovered us and called the cops on us!”

“Oh, me too—when I’m not dreaming about screaming children and indifferent husbands . . . .”

“Well, don’t get us started on that stuff, Anna Lynn! We came here to get away from that sort of thing!” Guen admonished me.

“Yes, we did. We came to dredge you up out of your pond of despair, Anna Lynn,” said Cara Mia. “I told you it’d end this way! He’s way too social with everyone but you. He still having migraines?”

“I wish I could have visited more often, Anna. And stayed longer.” Brette Nikole put her arm around my shoulders. “I wouldn’t have cared what he thought! I mean, if his family and friends can and do come spend half their life with you, why shouldn’t yours? But . . . I never pushed Mason for it, and then . . .”

“I know. I understand!”

Not willing to get trapped into a discussion of her own tragedy, she echoed, “So—is he still having migraines?”

“Yes, he said he had one earlier. Sure seemed to pass fast enough when Roger came through the door! And then Brice and Skip came—was like he’d never had one.”

Guen nodded. “Naturally. That’s how it always is. When it’s you, you’re stuck with babying him along with your actual babies. Speaking of those, where have you parked yours, Brette? We really have to make more of an effort to get together like this! And to get the kids together. Yours must be climbing walls, Anna Lynn! Or are you able to get them away from here—oh, no! What am I saying? Of course, you’re not! And five of them to deal with! No, heh, six!”

“Plus his buddies . . .” murmured Cara Mia, reaching for more cookies.

“Lord, what a life! Anna Lynn, you’re a saint for sure!” exclaimed Graci with feeling. “I have barely enough strength to handle two boys . . . and their father!”

“Yes!” Kate chimed in, as she spread peanut butter on a cracker she then topped with sweet bell peppers and onions. “Guen and Graci have filled me in on things, Anna Lynn. Have to say, my girls are not as bad as I’d been warned they’d be . . . thankfully! And their daddy is better than most about helping with them. Really, he can’t seem to get enough of them! But, here—I’ll not brag on it more than that!”

“Marc and I are trying for a second baby,” informed Vanessa. She eyed Kate with fascination. “You still eat those?”

“I’ve never eaten a baby in my life!”

“Stupid! I meant those peanut butter cracker things. I don’t think I’ve had one since I was fifteen!”

“I shall happily weigh in with no babies!” stated Cara Mia smugly, keeping the original discussion alive. “Don’t have time for it! Or for guys! Guess I’m too selfish; don’t want to have to deal with someone else’s needs and wants. I love traveling when and where I want—and I still eat those peanut butter cracker things, too, by the way.”

“Well, I had time—for both kids and those cracker things. But for now, just keep those gardens and orchards fixed in your mind!” Tessa advised. “We’re reliving our glorious past! And I swear, I never saw anyone eat so many blueberries at one time in my life! Vanessa—or was it you, Cara Mia, who puked her guts out that day? But not Anna!”

“Thank you for reminding me,” said Vanessa ungratefully. “Nothing glorious about that! Why I thought I had to do everything you did, Anna Lynn, I’ll never know. Rocks in my head . . . or something.”

“Or something, indeed! And Brettey, I recall you eating your weight in strawberries every year!” Graci gave Brette Nikole the eye. Then including me in that look, she said, “It’s a wonder you people weren’t ever sick!”

Brette Nikole and I just laughed. What could we say? No accounting for that circumstance. It just was how it was back then.

“Remember the time we did get trapped in the trees by the Smith’s dogs and thought for sure we’d be caught and arrested?” Vanessa reached up to dip her chips in my bowl of salsa. “You think quick, girl!”

I shrugged a shoulder, saying modestly, “Yeah, well, I just reacted. Didn’t really think my insane beastly growl/howl would actually scare them off.”

“Holy moly, lady! You gotta be kidding! Scared me!” Guen confessed. “Thought I’d pee my pants right there! Or worse!”

“Glad you didn’t,” Brette said dryly. “I was right below you!” Which got a burst of laughter from us all.

“We-ell . . .” said Tessa slowly, “I did! Never quite forgave you for that, Anna Lynn, honey!”

I looked over at her, grinning. “That why you wouldn’t talk to me for three weeks after? Thought it was because I put jalapenos in the peanut butter sandwiches instead of the sweet green bells!”

“Oh, for that too!” she responded promptly, fanning her face in remembrance of the tongue tingling incident. “For that too!”

“Heh,” stated Cara Mia, giving me a mock annoyed look. “I doubt any of us forgave her for that! Probably’s why Vanessa doesn’t eat them anymore! And as for that horrendous noise you emitted that night, it’s a wonder no one came after us with rifles! Felt my hair lift straight up, and my heart stopped for a full three seconds!”

“Those were the days, huh?” Brette sighed wistfully.

For a moment everyone was silent, each recalling their most vivid memories, reliving them one precious time more.

I knew Brette’s thoughts were also going back to when her family had been intact as much as it did for our youth, and I wrapped an arm about her, hugging her quick.

She laid her head against mine and after a short silence, she summoned up one of the more daring of our youthful escapades.

“Remember the time we hijacked the driver’s ed car and cruised to Ohio?”

Cara Mia shook a finger at Graci, Brette and me. “That was classic! I haven’t heard that story in a long time. Go for it!” She dug into the popcorn and settled back into the beanbag chair in anticipation of the retelling of that adventure.

“Oh, my . . . I haven’t thought about that for years!” said Graci with a snicker.

“Funny, with Mom and Dad going on and on with their marathon lectures, Graci, I was sure you’d never be able to do anything but think about it!” Guen responded. Then, in altogether a different tone, “If they ever knew how jealous I was that I missed that class . . .”

She was three minutes older than Graci, was just a touch heavier and taller. Nothing big; most people didn’t notice. Anyway, she should have been with Graci and me, but a bad cold had kept her home that day. With much pleading from Brette Nikole, Mr. Ettori had let her take Guen’s place for the lesson instead of waiting for the next class.

A peep of fun gleamed in Graci’s dark green eyes. She shook her head as if ashamed of our youthful audacity, but then glanced up and pronounced with happy satisfaction, “That was one of our boldest pranks, wasn’t it, Anna?”

“Detention for a month and suspension from driver’s ed,” recalled Brette Nikole in a dreamy tone. “Worth every second! Poor Mr. Ettori . . . he couldn’t know we’d take such shameless advantage of his terrible weekend hangover!”

“No,” I said, “It was something he’d’ve expected from some of the boys, like Roger or Shaine! But, hey—he ought to have stayed home that day and let classes be cancelled. There, he could’ve slept peacefully and woken safe in his own bedroom; not the parking lot of The Sumburger, Chillicothe, Ohio!”

“Why did you want to go there?” Tessa demanded. “Why didn’t you go someplace exciting? Cleveland, if you had to go to Ohio.”

“Cleveland’s too far, and we decided to go check out the outdoor theater there in Chillicothe. That and the ceremonial grounds of the Shawnee. Although, at the start of it, I hadn’t planned to go far at all. I thought about going to Charleston. But then, I don’t know . . . Ohio seemed such an adventure at the time . . . and Mr. Ettori was snoring so peacefully beside me . . .” I started to chuckle. “Ah, the look on his face when he finally woke up, realized the car wasn’t moving, and dashed into the diner after us!”

Graci’s chuckles joined mine. “He kept looking at our luscious burgers, and start to say how good they looked, how wonderful they smelled, but then he’d catch himself up and start in on us all over!”

“Yeah, he didn’t know whether to sit down with us or kick our butts all the way home!” I returned on a string of giggles. “He knew his was going to be once we got back!”

“He had to pay for our food since we didn’t have quite enough money.” Brette sighed contentedly. “Don’t know what we would have done if he hadn’t woke up.”

“Don’t know if he ever forgave us for that—even though he did order a burger to go. He resigned before they could fire him and set off for parts unknown.”

“As far from us as he could get, I imagine! Unfortunately for me, my mother wasn’t as forgiving as yours was, Anna! I should have had the good sense to have talked you guys out of it; made you take the car back to the school! Don’t know why she thought I could’ve done it with the odds two against one! And I wasn’t the one driving!”

Guen laughed. “Odds two against one? Come on! You wanted to go as much as they did! I sure would have!”

Graci backhanded my arm. “Annie, do that beastly growly howlly thing for us. Just once for old time’s sake.”

There’s a cliché best left unspoken—on this occasion, anyway. But right then, I didn’t think of the possible consequences. Standing, so as to get enough wind power, I gave vent to one lusty and prolonged howling roar . . .

From the doorway, an unexpected voice, deeply incensed, cut me off at high pitch.

“Anna Lynn! What the hell!” Shaine’s gaze went from me to my assembled company. “What’s all this? What are they all doing here? Thought you wanted our time?”

Now here was a brilliant observation from the man who had deserted me for his own pursuits and with all of his good buddies trailing after him!

This thought and my astonishment at seeing him back so soon, and alone, not to mention being caught in the middle of making such an unladylike sound—made me respond with righteous indignation.

“Didn’t think it’d been such an important thing with you! You went off to do whatever without even telling me you were going, and I heard you invite Roger and your dear brothers to come back and spend the night! I didn’t want to be the only female here if that happened. Why’s it always just your party? And why is it always just the guys? You got something against their wives, Shaine? Ever think I might want some girl time? Some woman talk?”

He stared at me a second, debating whether to answer any of that, and then declared abruptly, “All right, all right! I had a prick of conscience, okay? Girl talk’s over!”

Oho, no, it wasn’t!

Standing between my company and the door he pointed at, I retorted, “Well, it didn’t happen to occur to me you’d have a prick of conscience! Hasn’t ever happened before! I need my friends and my family, too, Shaine! Tired of being shut out by you! Tired of waiting on your world while mine is passing me by! So, be a sweetie, and go get us some more chips and dip. And the peach tea that’s in the fridge. Don’t forget the ice . . .!” I blew him a kiss to soften the order as he sometimes does to me. Gave him a big insincere grin of thanks, too.

“Anna Lynn!”

“What? I’ve been doing it for you and your friends ever since I married you! And more so these past few weeks! You too good to do it for me?”

Apparently so, for he replied coolly, “I am not waiting on anyone, Anna Lynn. And the lot of them can certainly wait on themselves! Just not tonight! Good night, ladies! Some other time, huh?”

Defiantly, I faced him. “Oh, nice speech! I’ll have to remember it so I can recite it to the guys next time they show up—in that tone, too! Telling you right now, I’m done with that crap! You walked out the door without a word to me. So, hey, too bad, Shaine—these are my plans tonight!”

Unmistakable threats gleamed in his grey eyes. “Anna Lynn . . . say good night to ‘em! Now!”

Which persuaded my cousins and Kate to beat it for the door with a hastily uttered, “See you later, guys! Thanks for having us over, Anna Lynn!”

The rest of them merely altered their positions from their respective seats, gave him back his stare with a calm determination. In the past, we never abandoned each other to dire fates. They didn’t intend to start tonight.

Fiercely, Shaine eyed them. “Said everyone, Anna Lynn!”

“Your friends don’t leave when I have things to say to you! But then, your friends never seem to leave, period! We come here—thanks very much to Eustace’s death—and what do you know! Nothing changes! You do what you want, and we’re supposed to be happy just because you are! Well I’m not! Let me tell you something . . . I am sick of—”

I faltered momentarily, becoming aware, suddenly, of the presence of another audience huddled together out in the hall behind their father. Caught a glimpse of five considerably apprehensive little faces peeking around him on either side.

Oh, great . . . . . had they ever gone to sleep?

Oh, no, shoot . . . I’d probably woken them up with my beastly roar! Probably’d scared them half to death, just as I had done to my friends and the Smith’s dogs way back when!

Now instead of being reassured, they were being bombarded with even more unpleasant sounds. Sounds they’d never heard before because I’d been so careful to keep it all in all this time. Parents fighting was one of the worst things ever.

But, here I was, inadvertently breaking my own vow of never arguing with Shaine in front of them.

For the first time in my life, however, I was too angry to care who heard me, and so I ranted on. “I’m sick of all of it! You know, except that I make a wonderful slave—or—or rug—you must feel that your friends have more to offer you than I do! Fine—fine! So, tell me, is that the way you feel about the kids, too!”

Unaware of my reason for asking it, he disregarded my whole spiel and grimly ordered, “I want them out, Anna Lynn! Now! Right now—or else!”

I folded my arms mutinously. “Or else what?”

Goaded, Shaine took purposeful strides toward me.

My sisters and my friends rose up, ready to assist me if called upon. The kids, believing he’d meant for them to clear out, did—like a bunch of frightened puppies. Jack and Sylvana with Trista stumbled back toward the stairs while the twins bolted for cover in the kitchen.

Startled, his temper now flaring, Shaine swung around in time to see them all scatter. “What are all you doing up? GET TO BED!” Turning his head, he glared at me. “This is your fault!”

I started to object, but then shut up. Had I not roared as I had, they likely would still be sound asleep right now. Well, maybe not . . . probably not.

Before I could decide to refute his charge, Anthony burst out into the hallway, his eyes huge with fear. “Momma! Momma! Wyna wan ou’thide! I don’t thee her!”

“What! Why?” thundered Shaine.

Anthony cowered.

I elbowed past Shaine to go after Allyna, shot back, “That’s why! Your roar is just as bad as mine, sweetie!”

Behind me, I heard Brette Nikole utter with feeling, “Oooh, I think it’s worse, sweetie!”

Shaine let it pass and strode after me.

Briefly, I paused on the tiny back porch. Was so dark I could barely make out the outline of Eustace’s half-finished eight foot chain link fence. If she would only stay up this end of the yard, she’d be all right. It was a flicker of hope that wanted to balloon instead into mindless panic. For my frantic calls brought no answering ones.

Heedlessly, I dashed down the steps and out toward the ledge.

Behind me, armed with flashlights they’d found probably in the back hallway, hurried Shaine, Guen, and Brette Nikole. Cara Mia and Graci collared the rest of the kids, kept them from following. Except Jack—who escaped Cara Mia’s restraining hold and jumped over the railing. She called urgently after him, but he ignored her.

When I ordered him back, he burst out, “It’s my fault! I showed her how to unlock the door today, Mom. Let me help find her!”

I couldn’t tell him no. He took my hand, and we searched together.

Brette joined us, lighting our way with her flashlight. “Don’t need you two falling over.”

While we searched the back yard, Shaine peered over the edge of the ledge, and Guen ran to check the front and side yards and up the driveway.

“Nothing that way!” she reported, coming back to us.

“Nothing in the back yard, either,” called Cara Mia who’d apparently decided to check that direction.

Jack gripped my arm, fear in his voice. “Momma—”

“I know. Let’s go see what your father’s found.” My heart felt like an ice block melting in cold drips to the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t keep the worry out of my voice.

We made our way over to Shaine who had reached the spot where the ledge ended at its furthest point. Now he trained his light straight downward, straining to see any movement or some shape that resembled a child.

The beams pierced the blackness, casting weird shadows onto the rocks below, and upon those beside the railroad tracks. In frustration Shaine uttered, “I can’t tell . . . What is that over to the right? See it?” He jiggled the light at a point about twenty or so feet down.

It could be a child. The lump seemed big enough to be a five-year old. If it was, it lay very still.

Oh, please . . . . . no . . . .

“Mom-mma!” The plaintive cry came from our left—a spot Shaine had already searched.

As one, the beams of light swung toward it. There, in a crumpled heap upon a mound of dirt on a sliver of a ledge, perhaps ten or so feet below us, lay our frightened little girl. We speculated with some hope that the dirt had cushioned her fall, and maybe she had escaped serious injury. Of course, upon such a tiny ledge, the dirt mound could give way . . .

“How’d I miss her?” Shaine moved toward the cries. “Be careful! The ground is loose here. It could give way!”

Which apparently was what happened to Allyna. In the beam of the three flashlights we could see the place where the ground had caved in under her weight.

Just as it had under Eustace’s.

Drawing a swift breath, I clutched Shaine’s arm, speechless with dread. Shaine called to her, keeping his voice calm. “Are you okay, ‘Lyna! Don’t move, honey! I’m coming to get you!”

“Shouldn’t we call 911?” Cara Mia called out.

“Go ahead, but we can’t wait for them! If she moves, she’ll fall further!”

Cara Mia gave Baby Trista over to Sylvana and made the call on her cell phone which thankfully worked despite our remote location.

Shaine looked over at Jack. “Jack—run and find some rope! I think I saw some in the back hallway by the cellar door!”

Brette tucked her flashlight into Jack’s hand, and he immediately hurried away.

I understood Shaine’s urgency, but I couldn’t be sure it was the right thing to do. If the ground had given way under Allyna who weighed fifty pounds tops, what made him think it would sustain his hundred sixty-five pounds?

“I’m going to have to go down further left or right, I think. Looks like that ledge goes all the way across . . .”

Was considerably skinnier in spots though.

Allyna began to cry, and we put all our efforts into consoling her and encouraging her to stay still. A heartfelt prayer of thanks that Eustace hadn’t died in winter flitted through my mind. Rescue was going to be risky enough without the added complication of cold, snow, and ice.

I was grateful, too, for Shaine’s present calm assurance—in stark contrast with his livid temper just a short while ago. In spite of his gentleness, however, Allyna sobbed for me. Became quite hysterical frankly. Cried over and over, “I want on’y Momma! I want on’y Momma!”

Much afraid she would make a fatal move in her agitation, I implored him, “Let me go to her, Shaine. If it’ll calm her—”

”No!” he declared flatly. “If something were to happen to you, the kids’ll end up having nobody!”

“What?” I stared uncomprehendingly at him. It was impossible to read his face in the dark. “What are you talking about? She’s scared, Shaine! Just let me go down to her! I’m lighter!”

”I know she’s scared. I know you’re lighter! That doesn’t— Look, I came back home alone tonight because I wanted to—I needed to t—”

Jack returned then, breathless. “Here! Here’s the rope, Dad!” And thrust it into his father’s hands. Shaine’s reason for coming home alone tonight was forgotten for the moment.

Swiftly Shaine made a loop and slipped it around his waist. Choosing a point to the left, he said, “Hope you girls can handle my weight—and hers!”

Brette Nikole, Cara Mia, and I were of a medium build. Guen and Graci, however, were taller and had the size and weight we needed. I called to Graci to come join us; assured Shaine that as a team, we could do it.

Anthony let go his hold on Cara Mia’s shirt tail and bolted toward us. He had the idea he could haul his sister up all by himself. “Gimme the rope, Dad! I can do it!”

“Just stand back, Anthony. We don’t need you going over, too!” Shaine blocked his way, pushing him back toward me. Then, shoving the smaller flashlight into his back pocket, he got ready to descend.

Sylvana reached out to pull Anthony back against her with her free hand. Baby Trista clung to Sylvana’s neck, burying her face against her shoulder. I wanted to go hug all three of them tightly, but it’d have to wait. They were safe where they were for now.

Jack directed the beams of the two larger flashlights downward, and we lowered Shaine to the ledge, playing out slack to him as he needed. If I thought the strain was rough on my arms then, I tried not to think what it would be like hauling him back up with Allyna.

He called for more slack just as Cara informed us help was on its way. He acknowledged it and started to make his way over to Allyna. It was slow going as the ground there was not as stable as he’d hoped. Twice it gave way under him, making him have to scramble for safer footing or be pitched over. We kept our grip on the rope, which helped him. But, this didn’t bode well for his return trip with Allyna.

Carefully, we followed him to the spot where Allyna had fallen over> Jack came carefully with us, training the flashlights wherever Shaine directed.

At length, Shaine reached her. He spoke to her soothingly, his voice husky with his fear for her. When he tried to assess her injuries, to our dismay, she fought him. There was barely room for him to stand with her upon that meager ledge, thus he had difficulty keeping his balance and coping with her resistance. Although he continued to speak to her calmly, I could sense his exasperation.

“Allyna, please let Daddy bring you up to Momma! I’m waiting for you!” It was hard to keep the panic out of my voice, but I managed—more or less. “Let him make sure you’re all right!”

“Me too, ‘Wyna!” hollered Anthony, cupping his mouth and hopping in place. “We all waitin’ for Daddy to bwing you up! Wet him wook at you! ‘Kay, ‘Wyna?”

At that, to our relief, she allowed Shaine to check her over. “Okay, I don’t feel anything broken, amazingly. I’ve got her! Now for the hardest part . . .!”

“You can’t go back the way you came, can you?” I called out to him.

“No, probably not. Jack, shine those lights over here. No, a little more right!” He looked up. “How’s the ground above that spot? Stable . . . or not?”

We moved further right to check it out. Seemed okay. So carefully, Shaine inched his way over. I was getting more antsy by the second. What if the ground wasn’t stable here? What if it wasn’t where he was now? What if it gave way, and I lost them both? What if we couldn’t keep hold of the—

“Ah, man—I think I’m gonna go nuts!” I uttered.

Brette Nikole glanced over her shoulder at me, said quietly, “I hear you, Anna. But at least you know they’re still breathing.”

“Yeah.” It was a reference to her own tragedy and I wanted to hug her, but I couldn’t let go my hold of the rope. I don’t know how she’s lived with that awful memory every single day since. Didn’t think I could.

Presently we heard him shout, “All right! I’m ready. Pull us up!”

Just as I’d feared, with Allyna’s added weight our benumbed fingers and straining muscles objected fiercely. Mine threatened to give out and I wasn’t the one dealing with his weight at the closest end. Guen and Graci were.

Shoving her phone into her pocket, Cara Mia took up a spot between me and Brett. I was on the very end, so when two small arms wrapped themselves around my waist and yanked, it nearly pulled me over backwards.

“We’re helping, too, Mom!” Sylvana told me earnestly. “Anthony’s got me, and Trista’s got him! That’s a team, huh?”

Well, yeah . . . Kind of an awkward one, but a team, nevertheless. I let them remain. How could I do otherwise, hearing their excited eager voices declaring, “We’re doing it, huh, Mom? We’re getting ‘em up, huh!”

Trista’s equally earnest, “Do it, huh, Ma! We do it, huh, Ma? Get Da up!” echoed right along with theirs. It was the most she’d ever spoken at one time before this.

My arms and fingers screamed for mercy, but I answered positively, “Yes, we are. Just a minute more . . .”

Inch by gradual inch, we hauled them up to safety.

When at last, Shaine crawled over the side of the drop off, I hurried to seize Allyna from him. Brought her a safe distance from that edge.

Tears streaming heedlessly down my face, I anxiously asked her if she hurt anywhere. First she said yes, but then wept, “I just scared, Momma! I just scared!”

“Are you sure, honey? The ambulance is coming. They’re going to take you to the hospital, okay? Make sure you’re all right.”

She didn’t want to hear that. “I be okay!”

Shaine reached for her. Wiping her tears from her eyes, he told her she needed to be brave about it. As brave as she’d just been when they were being hauled up over the drop off. Seemed with that statement, the breach of trust between them healed.

“I be brave, Daddy,” she promised on a sob.

Standing, I took Baby Trista from Sylvana and hugged them both. Realized I was trembling uncontrollably. The hug seemed to calm me a little and I started to say, “ Where is that ambulance, anyway? Shouldn’t it—”

I broke off, my brain choosing that second to investigate the meaning of Shaine’s remark, “If something were to happen to you, the kids’ll end up having nobody!”

Was that a reference to those headaches? Disregarding the fact that the timing might not be right, that’s precisely what I asked him.

Dropping a kiss upon Allyna’s red head, he confided, “Anna Lynn, I have a brain tumor. It—they say it may not be operable . . . I have to go in for more tests.”

My sisters and my friends gasped their shock, as did I. My stomach dropped to my sneakers.

“What?”

How long had he known? Why hadn’t he told me about it before?

“God, Shaine, I’m so sorry,” said Brette Nikole sincerely. “Look, we’ll leave you guys alone now. But we’re getting together again. Tomorrow! No arguments! You’re not going through this alone! Hear me? We’re family!”

“Sure, Brette, I hear you. Sorry I was such an ogre in there. Come whenever you feel like it. All of you, okay?”

Each in turn hugged him and then me, vowing they’d be there for us in the morning. With that, they slipped away, leaving us alone to sort this out together.

To my surprise, Cara Mia stopped and called to the kids to come home with her. Invited Brette Nikole to pick up her kids and spend the night at her place, too.

Wow! Another miracle! One I urged the kids to take advantage of. Their reluctance to leave us was shattered when she informed them she had tons of ice cream in the freezer and they could have all they wanted. And they could stay up until they fell asleep!

At once, the kids all gave us hurried hugs, kisses, I love yous and good nights. With Baby Trista in tow, they dashed off to grab hold of someone’s hand. In a few minutes, we were all alone in the darkness, save the light of Shaine’s flashlight, watching the cars wend their way up the steep driveway.

“So . . . how long have you known this?”

He didn’t want to commit to a set time. “A while.”

“A while? What? A couple months? Six? A year? How long, Shaine? I’m sure it has to longer than a couple of weeks!”

“Anna—”

“You made me believe it was just migraine headaches! No big deal, you said! Just make the kids be quiet, you said! But you probably waited too long before you went for help, huh? What? You been littering our lives with your friends because you didn’t want to face it or make yourself tell me? Did you think I wouldn’t stick by you? Did you think I’d leave you? Did you? Shaine!”

My anger and frustration overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t go on. Despite my feelings of betrayal, though, I pulled him into my arms and hugged him and Allyna both.

He laid his head against mine, said with sheepish guilt, “I didn’t know . . . how to—I just . . . I just . . . didn’t want to . . . burden you with . . . with this . . . when they first told me . . . I-just went into denial . . . I’ve been putting off the biopsy . . . but the scans weren’t good . . .”

One hand clenched in frustration, my other bunched up the fabric of his sleeve. “Shaine! Wake up! Your friends have been the burden on me! On our time, our relationship—our wallets! On the kids even! We’re supposed to be a team, and you’ve made me sit on the sidelines! It isn’t fair. I would rather have known!”

“I’m—I’m sorry, Anna Lynn. Really, I am.”

“I am too!” I responded, not terribly moved by his tone of regret. “Look what it’s done!”

“I know. I had a taste of my own medicine tonight . . . I didn’t like it!” He suddenly chuckled. “You showed me some of your old spunk! I’ve been used to my cushy little rug . . . which you pulled out from under me tonight!”

“Uh-huh! I love you too!”

The mockery in my tone made him smile with sad regret. “I haven’t done the best job in showing it, but I love you—all of you! I don’t want to lose any of you!”

“I wuv you, too, Dad . . .” Allyna said, still in that husky teary voice. “How come we gonna wose you?”

“We’re not losing him, honey!”

Shaine forced a laugh. “What a time for gut wrenching revelation! Out here in the dark next to a fifty foot drop waiting for an ambulance to get here! God—first Eustace, then Allyna . . . We were lucky tonight, Anna Lynn. But what if I’m not so lucky. I can’t be sure of anything—maybe I’ll lose my grip and—join Eustace . . .”

Swallowing the fear and the tears that formed a lump in my throat, I hugged him again. “Shaine, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But, honey, I know we can get through it if you just don’t shut us out! I don’t know—maybe some good’s come from our having to be down here because of Eustace. Why can’t we use it as a foothold and climb this cliff of yours—ours—together!”

For a moment, Shaine was quiet, looking down at me. When he answered, it seemed his mood was lighter. “I never expected to be this grateful to Eustace for anything! Teased me unmercifully when we were kids! Imagine, though, I oughtta be for this!” With that, he flung back his head and hollered up to the stars, “Thank you, Eustace—wherever you are!” Which echoed in the night air and made Allyna and me giggle.

“There!” he pronounced with satisfaction. “That takes care of that! That the ambulance siren I hear?”

“Finally!” I breathed thankfully.

“I hope it doesn’t take all night to get this little missy checked out. Because, thanks to Cara Mia, when we get back, we can make time for us.” Over the top of Allyna’s head, he kissed me. “From now on—okay, I promise; whatever happens we’ll do that. How’s that?”

How’s that? Kidding me?

Some of the mountain of weight I’d felt myself under lately melted away at that. Despite his grave news, the sky seemed to be the limit. Especially if we beat this thing. But, at least, we’d honestly be a united front facing whatever came.

“Awesome! That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Shaine,” I told him, my heart giddy with joy. “I love you, you know!”

He smiled. “I know. And just so you know, I love you, Anna Lynn Thomson! For as long as we have together! I hope it’s forever!”

The night breeze carried my echo of that same sentiment softly into the midnight blue sky as the ambulance, sirens blaring, lights a-blazing, rolled down our steep driveway . . .