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"I hoped you’d call and check in every now and then," he said in a hurt-little-boy voice that was meant to elicit sympathy

"You should talk to Annie or your mother," she told him "If you’d like, I’ll remind Ruth to check in with you or Robin every day so you can rest assured that all is well"

"Yes, please do"

"Here’s your mother" She passed the phone across the booth to her mother-in-law

Annie waited until their soup arrived before she spoke "Honestly, Mom, you could be a bit friendlier to Dad"

"Oh?"

"Yes You kno he feels"

Bethanne did "This is about s, Annie"

"At least let him prove himself You don’t need to be so…" She couldn’t see herself

"Did I sound short with your father?" she asked

"A little"

Bethanne looked at Ruth, who shrugged "Just a tad, honey"

Bethanne exhaled and forced herself to re with two of his staunchest advocates

"Is there any possibility the two of you ht reconcile?" her ex-mother-in-law asked, eyes wide and hopeful

"Of course there’s a chance," Annie answered on Bethanne’s behalf "There’s always a chance, right, Moer than Annie liked, because both her daughter and Ruth stopped eating and stared at her intently "Yes, I suppose there is," she finally agreed

Seven

"Look, the café’s still there!" Ruth called fro since Richland, with Bethanne knitting beside her Ruth leaned forward, thrilled about the opportunity to see her old friend again When she’d nant, away froe that hadn’t started out in the most positive way

They’d moved to Pendleton because that here Richard’s first job was He’d wanted to , aer to prove his worth Her husband of less than a year had worked long days, abandoning Ruth to countless hours alone in a rental house in this tohere she didn’t know a single soul Meeting her neighbor, Marie, had been a lifesaver Ruth had needed a friend, a connection with sonancy, and she suffered froh most of the day

Not only did Marie beco, recommended her own obstetrician and driven Ruth to and from her first few appointments She’d shared baby clothes and maternity outfits with her Best of all, she’d taken ti afternoon chats, despite the fact that she had children of her own and often helped her parents at the roadside restaurant

Ruth had lived in Pendleton for only a couple of years, but she never forgot Marie, even though her own life had changed--and improved--soon after The effort to stay in touch lasted several Christmases but eventually they’d lost contact Still, Marie’s friendship had brought her coo

The café sat back fro lot, just outside the Pendleton city liy, and the s looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in

"Looks like it’s still in business," Ruth said, unable to keep the exciteood idea," Annie said "You’re glad we calad," she said, and it was true

"The sign on the building says it’s Marie’s Café," Annie pointed out

"She rabbed her purse and was practically out of the car before Annie had pulled to a complete stop She didn’t wait for the others

The café door creaked as she opened it--and then came to an abrupt halt It was as if she’d stepped back fifty years The café was the saht down to the aluminum paper napkin dispensers and the tabletop jukeboxes The booths had the identical red vinyl upholstery, but surely the seats had been recovered, probably more than once The plastic-covered menus were tucked behind the ketchup and mustard containers, which stood next to the salt and pepper shakers

More afternoons than she could recall, Ruth had sat in one of these very booths with her infant son at her side as she drank a cherry soda and talked over life’s challenges with her friend

At one stage, soon after Grant’s birth, Ruth had been ready to ade mistake She wanted to end it Marie had listened and been sympathetic to her tales of woe Richard spent so little time with her and their son that Ruth was convinced he didn’t love her, that he never really had Their e was a sham, she’d told her friend, and it was better to own up to her et out now before their lives became even more complicated