Author's note: Okay, so someone commented that Valentina is getting on their nerves. I'm actually relieved. I was thinking the Valentina fan base was pretty big. Evidently, the Evelyn fan base is a little bit bigger, at least on this site. Personally, I started out loving Valentina at the beginning of the show and adored her for most of Season 1. For me, she started going downhill when she and Remi had dinner with her parents and has been getting worse ever since.

Evelyn tried not to get jealous as she watched her husband leave with the young, gorgeous lady. Dr. White was right: even if they were having an affair, getting angry and throwing a fit was just going to push Adrian further away. She decided to sneak into the master suite to have a nice relaxing soak in the jacuzzi tub. The bathroom in the guest room only had a small shower, and there was no way she was going to settle for that. Valentina had random bottles scattered all over. For a maid, sorry, former maid, Valentina was quite the slob. Evelyn grabbed a nearby basket and used it to scoop up all the containers she didn't recognize. The way she saw it, Valentina was moving into the guest suite tonight, anyway. Evelyn was just helping her pack. After all, it might be Valentina's room, but it was her condo. The bath definitely did her good. She felt like a new woman. She had just finished putting on her make-up and was trying to decide whether to wear her hair up or down when she looked up at the clock. It was almost a quarter after six, and there was still no sign of either Valentina or Adrian. They should have been back by now. At first, she got this feeling that something was not quite right, but then she quickly pushed it away.

He probably just got caught in rush hour traffic. She thought to herself as she decided to call Adrian's phone. "Hello, Adrian? Darling? It's almost time to leave for dinner. Where are you?"

"Six-fifteen already? I am so sorry. Time just got away from me."

"So, you're still at Valentina's office?"

"Well, yes. I'm not sure if I'll have to make it all the way home. Can I meet you there?"

"I suppose."

"I love you."

Evelyn hung up without responding.

Adrian sighed as he hung up the phone. He could tell that he was upsetting Evelyn, which was the last thing he wanted to do. But he also enjoyed being with Valentina. After years of every female in his life just seeing him as some creepy stalker, she just saw him as an actual person. Valentina was having the time of her life introducing Adrian to all of her colleagues. Just when he thought he was going to be able to get away, someone else would pop up that Valentina would insist Adrian just had to meet. Even though he sometimes got a little board with her rambling on about various dress styles, she was still fun to be around. Watching her eyes light up as she showed him around his workplace was quite refreshing. However, he was

"That was Evelyn, wasn't it?" The young designer asked.

"Yes, I'm supposed to be at my cousin's in less than an hour."

"Wait, I thought he was your uncle."

"He's married to Evelyn's mother's sister, but our fathers are brothers. Evelyn was staying with them one summer while her parents went to the Bahamas, and that's how I met her."

"Oh. Where does he live?"

"Clear on the other end of Manhattan."

"Well, you have time for just one more thing I wanted to show you." She gave him a little pout.

Adrian sighed. "I really need to be leaving now."

Valentina sighed. "Oh, all right."

Just then, another young man showed. "Valentina! Is this the guy you're always going on about?"

"Sure is. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."

Meanwhile, Evelyn had just gotten to her aunt and uncle's doorstep and rung the doorbell. A few seconds later, a short, chubby woman with curly red hair answered the door. The two women squealed and hugged each other before the elder of the two poked her head out the door and looked around.

"Where's Adrian?" Aunt Rebecca asked

"He's not here yet?"

"No. Why should he be?"

"Well, he went off to do something earlier this afternoon, and the last time we talked, he was going to meet me here."

"Everything still all right between you two?" Aunt Rebecca asked with great concern in her voice.

"Oh, yes. Never better!" Evelyn replied, hoping she could hide the fact that she was trying to convince herself as much as if not more than trying to convince her aunt.

Aunt Rebecca was definitely not convinced, but she knew Evelyn well enough to know that she was going to share her feelings when she was good and ready to. "Well, do you want to call Adrian and tell him that we're ready to eat?"

Evelyn nodded her head. "May I go into the den?"

"Of course."

Aunt Rebecca started putting the finishing touches on the cake that she had made for dessert as Evelyn went to make her call. She felt something come up and grab her arm. The grip got tighter and tighter. She turned around.

"You jerk!" She said when she realized it was her husband. "Don't startle me like that again, especially when I'm handling-"

Uncle Tom reached over to scoop some frosting out of the bowl. He was just about to lick it off his finger when his wife grabbed his wrist. "I don't think so!" She declared. She pulled his hand closer so she could lick the frosting off herself. The two of them struggled a little more when coveted finger swiped by her nose, leaving the dab of frosting behind.

"Now look what you made me do!" She scowled at him.

"Easy access." He bent over and licked the frosting off. "Mmmm."

"Okay, I'm going to the bathroom to get cleaned up. If you mess up that cake, I'll….."

"You'll what? Send me to the couch?"

"No. Remember how I said I would tell Nigel Perkins you really were sick last Saturday?"

"Oh, God! Anything but that!"

"Then leave that cake and the frosting alone. Do we understand each other?"

As soon as she got back, Aunt Rebecca carefully inspected both the cake and the icing. "Okay, you're off the hook….. for now." Just then, they both heard Evelyn shouting from the den.

Evelyn came out of the den with a melancholy look on her face. "Adrian's not coming." She said, obviously upset.

"Does this mean that I can skip the paella and whip out the leftover chili?" Uncle Tom asked. That earned him a slap on the arm from his wife.

Evelyn started laughing. "Only if you share with me." Those two could always cheer her up.

Moments later, the three of them were hovering over the fridge.

"Is that ham loaf?" Evelyn asked. "I haven't had any ham loaf in years."

"Keep your mits off! It's mine!" Aunt Rebecca responded. "But I've got some chicken corn soup if you want it."

"Even better!" Evelyn felt like she was twelve again.

After dinner, Uncle Tom excused himself to watch a show in the den. The two women sat in the living room. Evelyn stretched out over the sofa. "That was a great supper, Aunt Becky. Don't get me wrong: gormet is nice, but sometimes, you just need some good old Pensylvania food."

"Thanks. Say, do you remember your mom telling you how we used to play tug-o-war?" Aunt Rebecca asked as she picked up a crochet project and went to work.

"Yes. Even though she was so much bigger than you, you'd always win. Are you ever going to divulge you secret?"

"I think I will. You see, both your mother and I would start out pulling with all our mights. After a while, I would let go a little bit, letting your mother think she was winning. Then, at the last moment, I would yank so hard it caught her off balance, and she would fall right down."

"So, why are you telling me this now?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. It just felt like something you needed to hear right now." It was nice when they could drop the whole upper-crust facade and go back who they really were.

Evelyn thought about what Aunt Rebecca said. She was still furious with Adrian, but now, she understood that her aunt told her that story for a reason. When she got back to the penthouse, Adrian and Valentina were in the living room.

"Darling," Adrian got up and went over to Evelyn. "I am so sorry."

"So am I." Valentina added. "I just wanted everyone to meet Adrian. I am so sorry about stealing him away."

Adrian?! Evelyn thought to herself. She wanted to yell and scream and throw a fit. But instead…..

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Uncle Tom and Aunt Rebecca." She said as she went into the guest room.

"What's going on?" Valentina asked.

"I'm not sure," Adrian replied, "But it can't be good."