"He died, Mom. Ten years ago. You know this."

"Why would you say such an awful thing?" she asked, horrified. "What have we ever done to you to deserve such behavior? We've loved you and cared for you and put up with your nonsense."

Nonsense, he wanted to ask. What nonsense? As far as he knew, he and his brother had been model sons. But if he asked the question, it would only further agitate her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"I'm waiting for your father, and that's the end of it."

"Marion," David said as he came into the room. "I just heard from George, and he said he got tied up at a job. He wants you to go home with Alex, and he'll meet you there."

Alex waited breathlessly to hear what she'd say.

"Well, let's go, Alex. I don't want to keep your father waiting."

As Alex pushed the wheelchair out of the room, he looked at David. "I could kiss you right now," Alex said under his breath.

"That's a lovely offer, but I think I'll pass."

David walked alongside Alex as he pushed the chair to the main door of the clinic. "You're a lifesaver, David. In more ways than one."

"Happy to help. Call me if you need anything-day or night."

"We'll never be able to properly thank you."

"You don't need to. This is why I spent all those years in school. I wanted to be able to help people."

"You're making one hell of a difference for our family. Don't ever doubt that."

"That's nice to hear. I'll wait with your mom while you get the truck."

Alex jogged across the parking lot, taking note of a few aches and pains he couldn't attribute entirely to the hard work he did every day. He'd been dying to call Jenny, just to hear her voice if nothing else, but he'd held off until he could focus entirely on her.

With the air-conditioning blasting, he drove up to the clinic entrance and got out to help his mother into the truck.

"Turn down that horrible air-conditioning, Alex. I'm freezing."

"You have to be the only person in the state of Rhode Island who's freezing today."

David laughed at their banter as he waved them off and went back inside with the wheelchair.

"You're driving too fast," his mother said when Alex pulled out of the clinic onto Ocean Road.

"I'm barely moving."

"Don't talk back to your mother."

Alex bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping at her. She couldn't help it. Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he'd eventually believe it. He drove home as slowly as he possibly could. By the time he turned into the driveway to Martinez Lawn & Garden, a line of cars was piled up behind him, but at least his mother wasn't angry with him.

Before the illness, she'd hardly said a cross word to him or Paul in their entire lives. She'd been a strict mother who set high expectations for her sons, but she'd also been kind and sweet and generous. He missed those qualities the most. The dementia made her angry, suspicious and impulsive, among other things that were hard to live with.

An hour later, he had his mother settled in her bed for a nap before dinner. Alex wandered into the living room and stretched out on the sofa. The workday was a total bust, and he couldn't leave his mother alone anyway. He withdrew his cell phone from his pocket and went through the text messages from clients as well as a couple of friends who'd checked in to see how he was doing.

And how was he doing? Depended on when he was asked. Other than the unpleasantness with Sharon, last night had been awesome, from the moment he got to Jenny's until Paul had called about their mom's chest pains. Today had mostly sucked, except for when Jenny had driven him home and offered to help. That had been great. Being around her made him feel good, which was more than enough to keep him going back for more time with her.

The ups and downs of his daily life lately were nausea inducing, a thought that reminded him he needed to eat. But getting up to find food would take energy he just didn't have, so he stayed on the sofa and called Jenny. He wanted to hear her voice. No, he needed to hear it, which was a thought that should've scared the shit out of him. But it didn't. The thought of her soothed him.

"Mmm, hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Were you sleeping?"

"Yeah. I conked out. How's your mom?"

Alex pictured her in her bed, her face rosy from sleep. "Home and resting in her own bed."

"Glad to hear it," she said. "And how are you?"

"I feel like someone beat the shit out of me."

"Funny, I feel the same way. I've been wondering if it might be more than a night without sleep and other stuff..."

"Other stuff?" he asked with a laugh. "Is that what we're calling it?"

"What would you call it? No, wait, don't answer that. I'm afraid of what you'll say."

He'd been on the phone with her for five minutes, and he was already grinning like a loon. "Can I come over later?"

"Sure, but I'll warn you, I may have the flu, and there's not going to be any aother stuff.'"

"Are you sore?"

"That might not be a good enough word for what I am."

"I know just the thing to fix you right up."

"Not. Happening."

Chuckling, he said, "What're your flu symptoms?"

"Complete lack of interest in anything resembling food, general lethargy and a possible fever."

"Ugh, a fever in this heat?"

"I know. It's a drag."

"I'll come over when I can bust free here. Not sure what time it'll be."

"I'm not going anywhere. I was supposed to get together with my friends, but I already called to tell them I'm staying home. If it is the flu, they don't need it-and neither do you, for that matter."

"The way I see it, I've already been extremely well exposed to whatever's ailing you, so there's no reason for you to be miserable alone."

"I suppose you have a point."

"Mmm, yes, I do, and he'd really like to see you again."

"Alex! Oh my God! You're like a fifteen-year-old boy!"

"I know, right? I didn't hear you complaining about my stamina last night."

"I'm hanging up now."

"I'll be over when I can."

"I'll leave the door unlocked for you."

"Jenny..."

"Yes?"

"I can't wait to see you." He ended the call before she could reply. Let her think about that until he saw her again. As he closed his eyes to take a quick nap, he smiled at the thought of seeing her soon. He really couldn't wait.

Maddie was frightfully late to the gathering at Syd's house to plan Tiffany's shower, but she had a good excuse. She and Mac had run away together for the afternoon, since his parents had the kids, and they had a rare opportunity to spend some time alone. Hours after she'd gotten the happy news from Victoria, Maddie still wasn't sure if she should tell her friends or hold off because of Sydney's situation.

She hadn't resolved the internal debate when she gave a quick knock on Syd's door and stepped into the house. "Hello?"

"Out here," Sydney called from the back deck.

Maddie went through the kitchen to the sliding door.

"Grab a glass of wine and come on out," Sydney said. "We found a breeze."

"If you can call it that," Stephanie muttered. She was fanning herself with the latest issue of the Gansett Gazette.

Since there'd be no more wine for the foreseeable future, Maddie fixed a glass of ice water and went outside, where the heat hung low and heavy over the island. The word "incinerator" came to mind. "How much longer is this grossness supposed to last anyway?" she asked as she ran the glass over her face, looking for relief anywhere she could find it.

"I heard on the news that it's here to stay for a couple more days," Laura said.

"Days?" Abby asked. "As in more than one?"

"Afraid so," Laura said. "They're predicting thunderstorms later in the week."

"Can't happen soon enough for me," Maddie said. "Hey, where's Jenny?"

"Sick," Sydney said. "She has a fever."

"Ugh, that's too bad." Maddie sat next to her mother on a lounge chair. "Hi, Mama." She leaned in to kiss Francine's flushed cheek. "Glad you could make it."

"Why have you been crying?" Francine asked, taking a long perusing look at her eldest daughter.

"What? I have not."

"Yes, you have. What's wrong?"

Everything stopped as the others stared at her, and Maddie wilted as much from the heat of their stares as the thick humidity. "Um, well, so it's kind of funny, actually."

"What's so funny?" Grace asked.

Maddie glanced at Sydney and saw that her old friend was waiting to hear what she had to say. "It seems that, despite my histrionics the other day, I'm pregnant after all."

The girls went wild screaming and hugging Maddie until she was in tears all over again.

"I knew it," Francine said smugly. "You had that look about you. Same as the last two times."

"I'm glad you knew it, because I had myself convinced I wasn't."

Sydney came over to hug her. "Congratulations, Maddie. I'm so happy for you."

"I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you, too."

"If it's meant to be, it'll happen. Don't let my situation take anything away from your excitement. Do you hear me?"

Sydney's kind words had Maddie bawling her head off all over again. "You can't be nice to me, or this happens. Don't anyone be nice to me for the next nine months."

"All right, bitch," Stephanie said. "Stop your damned blubbering, and let's plan this shower for your sister."

"Much better," Maddie said, laughing as she mopped up her tears with a tissue her mother handed her.

"How's Mac handling the news?" Francine asked.

"Surprisingly well. He's very excited but also very determined to move to the mainland in plenty of time to ensure there're no more train-wreck deliveries."

"I bet he won't have to twist your arm on that one," Abby said.

"Not at all. I learned my lesson with Hailey. There's no way that's happening again." Despite the seemingly never-ending need to bawl her head off over every little thing, Maddie forced a watery smile for her friends. "I talked to Patty today," she said of Tiffany's assistant at the store. "She gave me the schedule for this week so we'll know when Tiffany is off. Looks like Tuesday is our shopping day and Saturday is our party day."

"Have you mentioned this idea to Blaine?" Francine asked. "They might have plans on Saturday if that's their only day off."

"I was thinking we should make the party for both of them so it'll be super embarrassing when she's opening presents from the store," Maddie said.

"Oh, I love that idea," Abby said. "We'll invite all the guys and tell them they have to come to support Blaine. They don't need to know what kind of party it is."

The others howled with laughter at the thought of the guys at a sex-toy-and-lingerie party.

"It's the least of what they deserve after the number of times they've crashed our girls' night out," Maddie said.

"Absolutely," Grace said. "But if you guys do this to me, I'll kill you all. You hear me?"

"I see a new tradition in the making," Stephanie said, rubbing her hands together as she directed a diabolical smile at Grace.