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End of story.”
    â€œShe said she’s doing well, that the therapy is working. She’ll be able to drive on her own in a few weeks. She can be a bear at times. There is no doubt about it. I truly think she is the most fiercely independent woman I have ever met in my whole life. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, Myra, but sometimes we all need someone, a little help, if nothing more than a hug and a smile.”
    â€œI guess she thinks the same thing, or else she wouldn’t have come back home. She feels better around her family. To me, that says it all where Kathryn is concerned. She’ll be fine, Annie.”
    â€œAnd then there’s Alexis. I have to laugh every time I think of Joseph Espinosa standing up for himself. He was always such a pushover where Alexis was concerned. Oh, he loves her heart and soul, but he drew his line in the sand on New Year’s, when Alexis returned and thought he would rush right to her. Instead, he told her he had promised to take his mother and sisters to New York to see in the New Year, and he wasn’t about to break that promise. Nikki told me that Alexis cried for days, believing, wrongly, that Joseph was done with her. They’re working on their relationship. Our birds are all safe in their nests, and their lives will be whatever they make of them. Life is all about learning lessons. Don’t you agree?”
    â€œI do, Annie. I do. Some of those lessons are more painful than others, sad to say. Now, if we could just figure out things with Isabelle, I’d say we’re golden. I do not see that happening anytime soon, however.”
    Annie shrugged. “The only two we haven’t touched on are Nikki and Maggie.” She eyed Myra to see if she was hiding any secrets from her.
    Myra shrugged in return. “I know what you know, Annie. They were originally going to go away for a whole year. I’m referring to Nikki and Jack. But after three and a half months of togetherness, they decided to come home and paint their house, do some gardening, and go on side trips of a few days each. Nikki is ecstatic that she pulled off those two class-action suits she had going on. The third one is being handled by the firm, but the last thing she said to me was that the defendants were about to cave because of her two previous wins. She’s still talking about selling the firm. Will she do it? I’m not sure.
    â€œAlexis and Joseph’s time in Argentina was about like Nikki and Jack’s. Three and a half months, and they were ready to come home. We’re a full house minus Isabelle and Charles, but we have added two new players to our little group, young Dennis and Jack Sparrow. Perhaps if we don’t think too hard about Charles and Isabelle, we can make it all work.”
    Annie quirked an eyebrow. “Maggie?” It wasn’t a statement; it was a question.
    â€œI wish I had the answer. I imagine today will give us her answer. She’s back with Ted. That in itself makes me happy, because I truly believe the two of them were meant for each other. What time is it? Should we turn the grill on?”
    Annie looked down at her watch, a Mickey Mouse watch with huge numbers that she’d won in Las Vegas and that covered half her arm. “I’d say so. Don’t get up. I’ll do it. We’re good here. Everything is ready. Want something to drink? Iced tea?”
    â€œSure. And let’s have a cigarette, too.”
    â€œOoh, you’re being decadent, Myra. I like that. Be right back.”
    Inside, Annie quickly poured the tea and set the glasses on a tray. She then rummaged in all the kitchen drawers until she found a pack of cigarettes, which had probably been in the drawer forever, and added it to the tray. She scampered over to the kitchen window so that she could observe her oldest, best, and dearest friend in the whole world. And right now that oldest, best, and dearest friend was hurting.