Note: I wrote this story last night, but I know it's a bit short, but there will be more on the way. A neighbor and a friend of mine both voted that Marion should have more stories, but from what I've seen on the poll, you wanted Richie to have more stories. I'll do my best. Enjoy.

Marion was speaking on the telephone with an old friend of hers over the telephone.

"Hello, Marion. How have you been?" the other woman asked when she picked up.

"Hello, Diane. I'm doing well, thank you. I just thought we'd talk since it's been a long time."

"Yes, it has. I've been thinking about you recently."

"I have been doing the same, Diane," Marion agreed.

Marion noticed that Diane sounded like she was happy, and not bored.

"We do have a lot to catch up on for sure. Are you in Milwaukee at all, Diane?"

"No, but maybe I could come up with something. Maybe we'll do lunch. Would over the weekend work for you?"

"It certainly does, Diane. I remember you came over to our house the last time we were together. Don't you remember?"

"Of course I do, Marion. Are you still in the same house?"

"Yes, I am."

Diane thought to herself that Marion was really enjoying living in this same house ever since she married Howard Cunningham. Diane recently moved to Northwest of Colorado, and was already starting to love it. Marion hadn't yet received Diane's recent address, but her telephone number was all the information she had for now. And they talked whenever they could.

"Marion, you know what I think?"

"What's that, Diane?"

"I can't tell you what to do, but I think it's time for you to find a new place."

"I don't think I can, Diane. Both Joanie and Richard don't want me to put the house on the market. This house hold several memories, so that's why I don't plan to do anything."

Diane only met Richie and Joanie once or twice, and she hasn't talked with them since then.

"Do you still have Richie and Joanie at home with you?"

"Of course not. They both are adults. There's no need for Richard to live with me since he has a family of his own."

"How about Joanie?"

"Joanie only has a boyfriend, but that's all."

"At least she's happy, which is good. When I do come up with something to see you, I'll let you know."

Like a lot of her other friends, Diane is retired. She'd kept in touch with Marion the most of all of their friends. Marion really didn't need a job to make her happy, and besides, being a parent and wife was her job, and she still enjoys it today. Every once in a while, Diane would bring Marion up – to – date about their other friends, which Marion liked hearing.

Some of her friends lost Marion's contact information and never bothered to ask Diane for it, so this was why Marion gets the latest news from Diane. She and Diane had been friends ever since they were both in high school. They both were a year or two apart, so this was why they were almost the same age.

"Once I set up a date to come out, I'll let you know and we'll go from there."

"That does make a lot of sense, Diane. This was it'll give us both more time to catch up in person."

"That's why I suggested it, Marion. It's been good hearing your voice again."

"The same goes to you, Diane."

The last time they both spoke was Christmas of last year, so it was good to catch up.

"Listen, Marion, I have to go. I have to pick up Tom from school.''

Before the two women ended their conversation, Marion asked if she could get the contact info from their friends since she somehow seemed that the information was long lost, so she did just that. Diane gave her some of them, and Marion had some scratch paper and a pen with her so she could write it down.

When Diane was giving Marion their other friends' contact information, she could hear Marion grabbing something to write on and finding something to write with.

From what Marion heard a long time ago from Diane, she is also a widow. No wonder Marion saw the connection with her only son when Diane told her about his losing his wife later in the conversation. She did feel sorry for Paul, but she didn't remember meeting Kelly and Paul, but besides sharing pictures of Richie and Joanie with Diane she also did the same with Paul, Kelly, and Tom. Marion thought Tom was a good - looking kid.

He is now in the fifth grade, but Marion didn't bother asking her friend if his mother was starting to feel old because he is growing up so quickly.

"Thank you, Diane. It's always nice to keep in contact with people you don't talk with very often."

"I can't argue there, Marion," she said, then added, "I had a nice conversation with you today."

"So did I. Could I ask another question?"

"What's that, Marion?"

"How old are your children now?"

"Let's see. Kelly is in her late fifties, but Tom is the only child she has and has a couple of others who were adopted. Somehow she thought to herself one kid is enough and that's about all the energy she has time for. And Paul is forty - three now. He recently became a widower, but is hanging in there."

"Sorry to hear about Paul losing his wife."

"I know, Marion. Kelly and I somehow talk more than he and I do. We still have a good relationship, but he is very busy with work and everything. You know how it is."

"Yes, I do. I will let you go now so you can go on for the rest of your day. Be safe while driving to pick your grandson up."

"I will. I usually don't have problems with traffic, which is good. We'll talk again soon. Bye."

"Bye."

From what Marion heard, Tom is Diane's grandson. They both ended their conversation. After placing the telephone back in the cradle, Marion told herself it felt good to hear from her friend again.