Autumn leaves were turning into their full display of dramatic rich colors as Joan drove to Old Town Alexandria. She had a lunch date with an old friend, Eyal Lavin. Finding the small quaint country French restaurant Le Refuge, Joan parked her car. Eyal was waiting for her outside and watched the graceful Joan walk toward him.

'Lovely day isn't it." greeting her with his wonderful smile and twinkling brown eyes.

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice." Joan touching Eyal's arm as she met him.

"Wouldn't turn down a lunch date with my favorite blond."

They found a quite table in the corner and order the special of the day, soft shell crabs. The conversation was pleasant, Joan asking about his children and Eyal asking about things in general. He knew she had a reason for this meeting but waited patiently for her to divulge the reason.

"Annie was looking for you a few months ago. Did she ever find you?" Joan was now opening the discussion she needed to have with Eyal.

"No. Back in June she had parked near my house but by the time I walked out to invite her in, she had driven off. I started to call but didn't. Why are you asking?"

"It is a great deal my fault, I should have seen it coming. Not sure if you know this or not but I'm a recovering prescription drug abuser." Joan was confiding in Eyal, something she had keep to herself for a long time.

"Yes Joan, I was aware of you battle. You are doing fine now, right?"

"Yeah, I've got it under control but still very guarded about taking any type of medication. That's why I should have seen it long before now."

"Seen what?" Eyal was preparing for the bad news that was about to come.

"Annie has become an alcoholic, it didn't happen overnight... I'm guessing she had been abusing alcoholic for close to a year now." Joan was seeing the hurt creep cross Eyal's face, he still loved her.

"About the time she broke off our engagement." Eyal looked away from Joan, why didn't he try and contact her, maybe if he reached out to her and not waiting for her to come to him.

"Did she ever tell you why she broke off the engagement."

"No, she wouldn't talk to me. Just that we were from different worlds."

"Three days ago Auggie and I did an intervention, took her to Spring Hope Rehabilitation Clinic in Winchester, Virginia. I placed her on medical leave with the CIA, don't want to lose her." Joan was showing a touch of sadness. She had always like Annie and wanted her to succeed as a spy. Annie had the natural skill to read a person which is a major plus in their business.

"Was she willing to go?"

"Yes, she was. She reached out to Auggie, admitted to him she had a drinking problem and needed help."

"Good, that is a sign of encouragement. How is she doing?" Eyal was wanting to go to Annie but knew he should wait.

"Going through detoxification and having a hell of a time. You may want to get in touch with her doctor, I'm sure he would want to speak with you. We have told him you were very much part of her life." Joan was reaching out to Eyal, hoping he still cared enough to help Annie overcome her addiction.

"Yes definitely, anything I can do." Eyal was going to help in any way he could and maybe, just maybe have a chance to reenter Annie's life. He was determined to be there for her.

Joan gave Eyal the doctor's name and other information about the clinic. For the first time since knowing Eyal, she could see the anguish in his eyes. She knew he still loved Annie and was the right move to call him. After finishing lunch and standing on the sidewalk, Joan gave Eyal a warm hug.

"Thank you... You big Israeli for being the person you are."

Eyal kissed her on the cheek, "I'll keep in touch."

Eyal drove home in a state of unexpected shock. Annie was such a strong will person, someone in charge of her own destiny. She may have been recruited into the CIA but that was exactly what she wanted to do, serve her country, put to use the skill of languages she had mastered. For still being a fairly new agent, Annie was learning the spy craft well and she was good. Joan could see promise in Annie's abilities and so could Christine. What was it that had been so painful for Annie that she turned to alcohol. Questions he hopes she could face with professional help, get her life back on the road of living and enjoying life each day.

He pulled into his driveway, and just sat there. Going over anything he could have done differently, there were a lot of 'What If's' but no good answers. Slowly getting out of his car, Eyal looked down the block to the last place he had seen Annie and was now wishing he had taken that first step; walked those few doors down and talked to her. There was nothing he could do about it now but move forward, give the doctor a call.

Entering the kitchen, out of habit - Eyal pulled a wine glass from the cabinet and poured a glass. Just before the glass touched his lips, he stopped cold. Holding the glass at arm's length he stares at the wine - could he have been part of Annie's problem. They were famous for drinking a great deal of wine together. With him growing up in Israel, there was wine at dinner time, there was always wine, it was like a staple of life. But Annie was a heavy social drinker when they first met and she could handle it.

Pouring the glass of wine down the sink along with the half full bottle, Eyal decided to change his ways, not for Annie's sake but Avi. The young boy did not need to see his father with a glass of wine when he got thirsty. Opening the refrigerator, Eyal was looking for something else to quench his thirst. Milk, pink lemonade and something strawberry, not much for him, Eyal settled for the lemonade - not half bad.

It was a warm fall afternoon and Eyal took his drink and headed to the patio to wait for Avi to return from school. Wasn't too long before Betsy, their British nanny came strolling into the backyard with Rebekah pushing her stroller.

"Papa, Papa." the two year old Rebekah running to greet her father. Eyal standing, picking her up over his head and lower her down for kisses, she laughing and clapping with joy.

"How's my pretty girl?" Eyal was holding her in his arms and touching her nose with his finger. She giggled and hugs him tightly around his neck.

"Good afternoon Mr. Lavin." Betsy was putting the stroller away and turning back to Eyal.

"Hello Betsy, you two have a nice walk?"

"Very pleasant thank you, she is a good child. Now we should talk about her birthday party." Betsy was the type of nanny that had everything planned out well in advance, which was fine with Eyal.

"I think she is a little young to have other toddlers over for a party - just us, cake and ice cream." Eyal was thinking how fast this past year had gone.

"Balloons, presents and some noise makers. Could invite your work friends, they are such pleasant people."

"Christine and Jack, yeah that would be nice." Life was back to normal for Eyal at the present. His family had a way of bring him into a good mood no matter what was going wrong in his life.

Betsy turned to go into the kitchen leaving the baby with Eyal, "Avi should be home shortly, I'm going to fix him a snack - growing boy and all."

There was a sand box Eyal had built for Rebekah at the beginning of summer and they went to fill up buckets with sand and dump them out again. Eyal remembering the sand box he had made for Avi so many years ago, yep having children was fun for him.

Avi had just turned 14 and very tall for his age and looking more like his father with each passing day. He came bounding out of the kitchen door with a sandwich in his hand, "I did it Papa - I made the basketball team. We start practice Monday after school."

"Congratulations Avi, proud of you." Eyal raising his hand to give his son a high five. Yes, life was good for the Lavin family.

Later that evening, after dinner and the house was still, Eyal picked up his Kindle to continue reading some best seller that he was having a hard time getting involved with - to him it was boring. Betsy had gone for the night and Eyal had put Rebekah down to sleep. Avi was in his room doing home work when the phone rang, it was Christine. The conversation was short, she wanted to come by the next day and raid his wine collection for their upcoming wedding party. Yeah, Jack and Christine were going to tie the knot the first week in November and move to Washington, she had never given up her apartment. Respectable places to live in Washington were scarce.

"Sure blue eyes, no problem... Tomorrow around ten would be great. See you later." Eyal was happy to oblige, she could take the entire collection if she wanted.

Eyal heard Avi in the kitchen and strolled in to talk with him. "Got a second son, there is something I want to talk with you about."

Retrieving a soft drink from the refrigerator Avi leaned against the counter, "Sure, but I already know about the sex thing and thanks for buying these." Holding the can of Coke up to Eyal.

"I'm sure you do." chuckled Eyal, "No, it is about Annie."

"Annie Walker?"

"Yeah, she is in a bit of trouble with a problem." Eyal was trying to find the words.

"What kind of problem? Have you talked to her lately?" Avi had now straightened up and inquisitive.

Eyal also got a can of Coke before he continued. "She was admitted to a rehab center three days ago for alcohol abuse."

"No way, not Annie."

"I'm afraid so son. Joan Campbell called me today for lunch and told about her and Auggie Anderson doing an intervention with Annie."

"How long has the drinking be going on? The last time we were with her she was fine." Avi was having a hard time comprehending the news.

"Joan thinks the heavy drinking started about a year ago." Eyal knew what was coming next.

"The same time she called it quits with us."

"Yeah. Something was going on with her back than but she wouldn't talk with me. I'm still in the dark as to why the marriage was called off." Eyal took a slip of drink and glad he was having this chat with Avi. His son was mature for his age and needed to know what had happen to Annie. Ending the engagement not only hurt Eyal, it also affected Avi.

Avi was fishing around for a bag of potato chips. "Could it have been when you asked Annie to marry you that Bee and I were not in the picture, you didn't have us full time."

"I hope that's not the reason son. It has crossed my mind but she never would talk about it."

"Marrying into a readymade family can be a shocker." Avi was now munching on chips.

"What made you so wise at the ripe old age of fourteen?"

"I'm your son - what else." Avi said with a grin.

"That could have been part of the reason. Annie didn't have a happy childhood and now estranged from her parents. She may have been scared about being a step-mom."

"Her parents still living?"

"Yes they are; somewhere in Texas." Eyal remember Annie only mention once where her parents lived.

"Sad. I can't imagine not being able to talk with you." Avi was beginning to understand his father's worry. "So is there anything you can do about it?"

"Joan has given me the doctor's name and number to call. He would like to talk with me, get some background information before starting to treat Annie."

"They not treating her now?"

"She going through detoxification now which I understand is very wicked. Major withdrawal pain, psychological crap like mood swings, depression and the list goes on. There is also physical sickness like having a real bad case of the flu but doesn't go away. That takes about seven to ten days for the body to purge the alcohol out of its system."

"Man I feel sorry for her." Avi taking another slip of his Coke. He was also feeling the same agony as his father; Avi had grown to care deeply for this American woman that Eyal was going marry.

"I don't know what will happen and that is what I want to ask you. If she needs to come and stay with us, how do you feel about it?"

"Whatever it takes to get her well. Papa she was going to be my step-mom, yeah bring her here. We'll take care of her." Avi knew his father still love her and so did he.

Eyal saw the concern Avi had for Annie and sadness in his son's eyes, he walked over to Avi and both hugged - supporting each other. There had developed a strong bond between father and son over the past two years, a family strength that would endure for a life time.