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Olivia laughed again "I’ll do my best, Mom"

With a saucy wave, her mother was out the door Olivia just hoped that when she hit eighty, she’d have as y, optimism and charm as her wonderfulon Christie Levitt’s front door as she stood over the bathroo her teeth She rinsed her mouth and methodically set her toothbrush in the holder, then splashed cold water on her face She had no idea who’d be at her door this early in the day

"Hold your horses," she shouted and winced Her head throbbed hat threatened to beco headache

Whoever was at the door was certainly persistent On her way through the hallway to her bedroom, she did a quick mental review of the bills she’d paid Yes, she specifically remembered that she’d mailed off checks to the electric and water companies

Both utilities had been shut off before and in her opinion the companies were rather sneaky about it No one had co a housecoat, she slid her arnore the throbbing in her head

"Who is it?" she demanded as she unbolted the lock Her head ached, her eyes stung What she really needed was a cup of strong, hot coffee The stronger the better, and it couldn’t coh it was stuffed with cotton, she’d brushed her teeth first Coffee was going to be her next step

The moment she opened the apartroaned She’d tried to avoid Teri Her sister’s persistent phone calls had gone unanswered Christie had torn up the note Teri had slipped under her door without bothering to read it No need; she knehat it said She should’ve realized that Teri didn’t kno to take a hint

"What do you want?" Christie winced again at the pain that felt like a spear going through her head

Teri, five nantly "You look like hell"

"Thanks" Christie walked into the kitchen and reached for the coffeepot "Don’t "

"I never have and I’m not about to start now" Teri followed her into the roo for an invitation pulled out a chair and sat down "Put some water on for tea if you would," she said Her hands auto belly, and she raised her feet to the seat of the opposite chair, as if she intended to stay a while

Great Just great Not only did Christie have a headache to contend with, she was stuck with Teri, too In aa cup ater and slaely

"What are you doing here?" she ventured to ask, although she could easily guess This visit had to do with James Wilbur, Teri and Bobby’s forht a flash of pain

The scum

The rat

Christie had been convinced she was in love Deeply, truly in love Oh, she’d loved before, always unwisely as it turned out She’d been h a succession of men who all said they loved her…and fool that she was, Christie had believed the seeht But then he did what every man had done to her He’d due and taken off, and in the process broken her already wounded heart

Well, no ain

Christie was finished witha man, simply hurt too much

"Your car’s parked outside the Pink Poodle," Teri announced, watching her closely as she moved about the kitchen

"So?" Christie returned flippantly Where she chose to leave her car was none of her sister’s business The nored it

"So," Teri echoed in the saain"

"What about it? My friends are there" It wasn’t any big deal if she chose to have a couple of beers with the guys after work A few hours at the Poodle helped break theback to an eht in front of the tube wasn’t uys are your friends? Yeah, right"

"Listen, if you’re here to lecture me, then save your breath I don’t want to hear it"

Teri scowled The way they were snapping at each other was reminiscent of the relationship they used to have Over the past year that had iar, Teri’s chess-playing husband

Teri broke eye contact, lowered her head and sighed She sounded either hurt or offended, Christie wasn’t sure which But this reaction was so unlike her bossy forthright sister that Christie was i?" Various possibilities raced through her head A conancy, or trouble with Bobby, or er brother, Johnny Or--

"It’s the pregnancy," Teri blurted out She closed her eyes "I get light-headed fro three babies is taking its toll"

Christie felt a jolt of alaresturing dismissively with her hand "It’s me"