This is a rather short chapter because the last one was long and there was a natural break in the story. Next Chapter soon.

"We were sitting on the couch with almost an entire seat cushion between us. I looked over at her and she was just staring, waiting for an answer. And looking at her helped me understand exactly why I'd left Boston. But I chickened out. I didn't know enough about her yet to even begin to imagine how she'd react if I told her the absolute truth, and I wanted us to get to know each other before I frightened her out of my life."

So instead, I just said, "Do you have any idea what it's like belonging to a Boston Italian family?" She smiled and said, 'I guess I can only imagine.' "This woman was soft and polite and adorable."

"It's getting late, I said to her. How about I walk you home?"

'But then you'll have to walk back by yourself.'

"Okay, then, I'll drive you. There won't be anyone on the street and it's a straight shot up and back. C'mon, let's get you home."

She didn't move and she looked genuinely upset. As she dropped her head, she looked up with just her eyes and said, 'Are you that anxious to get rid of me?'

"Oh my God, are you kidding me? This has been the most enjoyable evening I've had in a very long time. I can't remember when I've been so relaxed and fascinated all at the same time. I just thought that maybe you were…I don't know what I thought. Do you want to go home?"

'Of course, just not yet. It's only 9:45, and I have been spending all day every day with my children and my mother. I'm craving adult conversation, some wine and, just something other than being a mom for a few hours. I know that must sound terrible, but my husband believes that when you become a mother, that's the most important job you can have. So, I haven't really spent much time doing anything else."

There was a pause while I was looking at her with my head tilted, and with what must have looked like the most dumfounded expression on my face. All I could think was, are you kidding me, what year is this? But thankfully, I caught myself before that flew out of my mouth. And then it occurred to me that that was exactly why I'd left Boston."

"What would you like to do?" I asked her."

'Can we go sit by the water for a little while?'

"Okay, I'd like that. Let's get you a jacket to wear over your dress. It's gotten chilly and it will be even chillier by the water. Or maybe you would like to change into some sweatpants?"

'Sweatpants sound great.'

"I found her some pants and a jersey and jacket, and led her into the downstairs bedroom so she wouldn't be changing in front of all the windows that face the lake. Then she turned her back to me and said, 'Can you unzip me?'

"It was all I could do not to turn bright red. I was trying to act as nonchalant as I possibly could knowing that to her, she was just asking a friend to help her, and to me it was all I could do not to lightly brush the back of my fingers against her skin. So I took the zipper in my fingers like it had cooties all over it, pulled it down as quickly as I could and got out of there."

Jane and Marie both burst into a good belly laugh over that. They were still laughing when Rose and Joe came out of the kitchen and joined them with fruit and cheese and espresso.

"Okay, you two, what's going on over here?" And the laughing would not stop. Jane finally got up and excused herself to the restroom so she could regroup and recapture some modicum of composure.

They spent the next hour in the delightful company of the Calderones with more deserts and more conversation and more espresso. When it was time to leave, Jane was charged with carrying the goody bag with tomorrow's dinner, and there were hugs and kisses all around.

"Oh, Aunt Marie, that was so very much fun. The beer was the best I've had anywhere, the food was fabulous, the surroundings are breathtaking, everything was just out of this world. I don't know how to thank you. And since the Calderones would not let me pay for anything, I would like to be responsible for finding and taking us to some special place later this week."

"Okay, Janie, you get to pick. I trust you. "Now, let's get us home, I'm exhausted."

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