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Bethanne didn’t coed the subject "Did your father mention that he wants us to see a house this afternoon?"

"Yeah, I think that’s great, don’t you?"

Bethanne was a little startled by her daughter’s reaction "I’ the house, Annie I told your father that when he brought up this idea, but he insisted I at least look"

"It doesn’t cost anything to do a walk-through, does it?"

Bethanne knew Andreould appreciate her feelings about their family ho it Annie had been four when they’d moved there and Bethanne doubted she had any memories of the apartment they’d lived in before that

"Dad eton house, and, Mom, it’s really beautiful"

Over dinner at Zorba’s, Grant had shown her brochures for cruises to the Greek isles, a trip they’d once anticipated for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary Only, there hadn’t been any anniversary and no trip Bethanne had scanned the flyers while sipping a slass of ouzo The implication was that if they did remarry, they’d take one of these cruises--a second honey so quickly Too quickly for Bethanne Grant was obviously trying to give her reasons to reconcile He’d always been persuasive, a deal- all his skills to sway her decision

"Your father’s trying too hard," Bethanne felt obliged to tell her daughter "It isn’t s I want There’s so much more involved here"

Annie’s eyes widened "Mom, Dad’s afraid" She hesitated briefly "Were you on the phone with Max the otherwhen Dad came by?"

"What makes you ask?" She’d been careful not to let Grant know she was speaking to Max He ht you ht’ve been"

Bethanne didn’t respond

"It really threw him after the week in Florida"

"Oh?" So all this house business had to do with Grant’s insecurities But until Andreedding, her decision was on hold Her first priority was seeing their son happily married Only then would she address these uncomfortable issues

"The cruise, the house--it’s all a bit much," she said

Annie smiled "Dadabout their meal at Zorba’s The recipes were the sao, but the experience wasn’t Grant had wanted to recapture the past and his atteed it, though It y, but Bethanne feared the sa would happen with their relationship Even if they both wanted a reconciliation to work, it er had the same interests or, she suspected, the sa and knitting Frohts, to network, meet with clients and make connections She, too, was required to spend a certain nus at work-related occasions, but more and more she preferred to be by herself or with faht had coested Zorba’s Had he dined there with Tiffany? She didn’t ask For a moment, she’d felt a fresh stab of pain but then shoved it fro their conversation, she’d realized that the Bethanne he wanted back was the old Bethanne, the woed hiain, nor did she want to She had her own business now Grant was ambitious; so was she Frankly, she didn’t know if there was enough rooe for thatabout?" Annie hed "I want it to ith your father, but I don’t know if it will Five or six years ago, I would’ve moved to thethis house is a waste of tihter didn’t say anything for a long ht I do"

Still, so to please Grant; she’d agreed to view this property simply because he’d been excited about it

"Do you want hed her options Checking the time, she realized Grant was probably at his office already, waiting for her "I’ll go Do you want to come with us?"

Annie’s face instantly lit up "I’d love it Are you sure you don’t mind?"

"I’m more than sure" In truth, Bethanne welcoht be able to avoid an aard discussion with Grant

They drove to Grant’s office in their own cars He greeted Annie and introduced the listing agent, Jonathan Randolph, as going to show them the property Annie rode with Jonathan, and Bethanne and Grant followed in his car

"Hoas your day?" Grant asked as soon as they were alone

"Frantic," she said "What about yours?"

"Also busy" He glanced away fro to love this house," he said as they entered the circular driveway that led to the double front doors

Just looking at it fro ho you…either of us could afford"

Bethanne understood what Grant was doing She hadn’t beenhow his mind worked He hoped once she saw the house she’d have a change of heart He was counting on it

And yet, after those sae, Bethanne was astonished that he didn’t know her better She’d never longed for things What mattered to her were the e board games with their children, or a vacation that included Andrew and Annie, meant more than a diamond tennis bracelet or a pricey dinner