"So how did it go today?" I eagerly ask Mother when she picks me up at the station this evening.

"Well, Bobby told me to look him up the next time I'm in the city."
"Not that!" Well, I'm not entirely indifferent to Mother's attempt, perhaps already successful, to seduce Tony's best friend. But I'm much more curious how things went with the rest of the moving and afterwards. "How are things going with Sam and Tony in their new home?"

"They seem to be settling in fine. When I got back from seeing off Bobby, Tony was about to go grocery shopping. So I watched the kids, since I figured it'd be easier for him without them. Plus, he looked a little frazzled."

I hope it's not going to be too much for Tony, looking after both kids and the house, not to mention doing all the other things I need a housekeeper for. Yes, he's been caring for Sam, but not for very long, and he has his father and Mrs. Rossini to help. And their apartment obviously is smaller than my house.

"But he also seemed happy. And it'll be easier tomorrow, because Sam will be at school in the morning."

"Right." I meant to help with that more. Maybe I can go with them when he registers her. I could catch a later train.

"The kids are getting along like a house on fire, and of course Samantha adores me."
"Of course."

"It'll be fun having a little girl around, won't it? Someone to dress up."

I laugh. "Sam is strictly a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl."

"Well, we'll buy her an Easter outfit. I think she'd look adorable in ruffles and bows."

I don't even want to think about Easter. Too much can happen in the meantime. And I don't want to argue about trying to make Tony's little tomboy more feminine, especially when I have no idea how he'd react to that. She would look cute though.

When we get home, Tony greets me with a very dry martini, straight up with two olives. I thank him but glare at Mother. I don't like the idea of her telling him my likes and dislikes.

"Dinner will be ready in half an hour. Meanwhile why don't you take a nice bubble bath?"

"Calgon, take me away!" Sam says like she's Juliet doing the death scene.

"Cawgon!" Jonathan echoes mournfully.

"Don't ask," Tony says, but Mother says, "The power of advertising. Doesn't it warm your heart, Dear?"

It's so sweet of Tony to think of my long day at the office, when I suspect his day has been even longer. Maybe I can offer to share my bathroom with him. I mean when I'm not using it of course.

I wish I could kiss him for his thoughtfulness, but of course I can't in front of the kids and Mother. This is not going to be easy.

But the bath is lovely. Usually when I come home, I mean in the days of past housekeepers, I would rush through dinner, dismiss the housekeeper, spend some time with Jonathan, and then try to work on whatever account I'd brought home. But I think this will be a less stressful evening.

When I step out of the bath, I don't want to get dressed again. I wish I could go downstairs in my bathrobe and towel. If it were just me and Tony, or even me, Tony, and Jonathan, I could. But I can't be that informal in front of his sharp-eyed little girl. Not to mention my sharp-eyed mother.

I do put on just jeans and a T-shirt. I can be that casual.

Sam is surprised when I come downstairs. "Wow, Dad, Mrs. Bower is a fox in normal clothes!"

I blush and he grins. I risk looking at Mother, who looks very smug. Jonathan just looks confused, probably at the idea of Mommy being an animal.

Mother has of course invited herself to dinner. I hope she's not planning to make a habit of this. Her hints about what a wonderful cook Tony is, supported by the kids' agreement, are not exactly subtle.

"It is delicious, Tony."

"Thanks. You'll have to tell me all your favorites." Those eyes, those big, melted chocolatey eyes! No wonder so many women have gone to bed with him! (At least I assume it was a large number, although he does seem to have been faithful to Marie in the seven years they were together.)

I remind myself that Mother and the children are watching, so I look away and briskly say, "I'll make a list."

I send Mother home after dinner, but she promises the kids she'll visit again soon. Great. I mean, I love her, but the woman drives me mad sometimes, and with this situation with Tony, she's worse than ever. He gives me a sympathetic look and I wonder if she gets on his nerves, too.

After she goes, the four of us play with Mr. Potato Head in Sam's room. Jonathan keeps wanting to put the eyes etc. in his mouth.

"He has lips in his mouth!" Sam says, pointing and giggling.

"Hey, Buddy, look, it's Freddy Fuzzy Face!" Tony makes a giant teddy bear, about the size of Samantha, dance.

Jonathan spits out the lips, grabs the bear, and hugs it. "Fuzzy Faith!"
"Daddy, that's my Freddy Fuzzy Face!"

"You can share, can't you? Like a big girl."
"I guess," she grumbles.

"Samantha, would you like to use my blow-dryer tomorrow morning?" I know I'm taking a risk. She may say, "Blow-dryers are sissy!"

But her brown eyes widen. (Not like Tony's, more like the eyes in the pictures of Marie I saw around their apartment). "Can I?"

"Yes, I'll show you how."

"Wow, just like the beauty parlor when I go with Mrs. Rossini!"

I manage not to laugh.

"I still get to sleep with Freddy Fuzzy Face though, huh, Daddy?"
"Of course. Jonathan's got his own toys to sleep with."

We put the kids to bed early. We're all tired. And Samantha has school tomorrow.

"Do I have to go?" she asks as Tony tucks her in.

"Sam, you promised."

"I can go with you, Swee—Sam, if you want me to. To show you and your daddy where it is."

"OK. Goodnight, Mrs. Bower."

"Goodnight, Sam."
"Goodnight, Honey." Tony gives her a big hug and kiss goodnight.

"Mrs. Bower, are there any ghosts in your house?"

Just a documentary film-maker and I will banish him as soon as I can. "No, it's not old enough."

"It looks like a house in an old, old movie, the kind Daddy likes." She yawns.

"Yeah, but no one's died here, Sweetie. Have they, Angie?"

"Not that I know of."

"We don't get ghosts in Brooklyn, even when people get stabbed."

I gasp. Sam doesn't seem to realize the horror of what she's said. She curls up like an innocent little girl, which she is, underneath the toughness.

"It doesn't happen very often," Tony whispers to me.

We tiptoe out. I want to look in on Jonathan again. Tony follows. My baby is sleeping. I turn and Tony smiles at me.

"Let's go downstairs," he whispers.

I nod and let him take my hand even before we leave the upstairs hallway.

We go down to the couch and sit but don't yet snuggle. I suddenly feel shy with him. I don't know if it's that we're officially living together, or if it's having the kids as part of it, or what. But it's hard to recapture how it felt in Vegas and California.

He swallows. "I feel nervous, too."
I smile a little. "This is real, Tony."
"Yeah. But it's also real nice."

"I know." And then I put my head on his shoulder and he puts his arm around me, still holding my other hand.

"Not to pressure you—" he begins, and I wonder if he's going to say he can't wait six weeks. I don't know if I can either. Then he continues, "But this feels really comfortable, natural. Despite the nervousness. I mean, I think I'm nervous because it feels so comfortable. If that makes sense."

I nod, thinking of how that makes my ear feel against his muscular shoulder. "One of my friends thinks I'm crazy but I could see it working."
"All of my friends think I'm crazy, but that's because I didn't tell them the whole story."

"The whole story is even crazier."

"Trust me, moving to Connecticut to keep house for a woman I met a week and a half ago is crazy enough."

I laugh softly. "Yes."

"So you told a friend about us?"

"Yes, but I've sworn her to secrecy. She can't even tell our other best friend, Wendy."

I feel him shift away a little. "Wendy Wittener?"

"Yes, have you met her?" Oh God, I can see her coming over to borrow a cup of sugar just to meet Tony!

"Yeah, in the park. She said her daughter is friends with Jonathan."

"Yes, they're friends."

"And you're friends with Wendy?"

"Tony, what's wrong?"

"Um, Sam thinks Wendy has, well, a crush on me."

I laugh. So Isabel was right.

"It could happen!" he says indignantly.

"I know it could. But Wendy, although she is very prone to crushes on handsome men, is 100% faithful to her boring and balding, but kind and rich dentist husband, Herb. The worse she'll do is ogle you."

"Oh." He sounds relieved.

"The one you really have to worry about is Diane Wilmington."

"Oh? What's she like?"

I'm tempted to lie, but he'd find out soon enough. "Um, she's a very flirty, buxom redhead."

"No problem, I'll just tell her I'm married."

"Yes, that worked so well with Betty."

And then to my surprise, he moves closer again, gently takes my face in his hands, and whispers, "The only woman I have a crush on and the only woman I want to have a crush on me is sitting right here." And then he kisses me softly but lingeringly.

I want to tell him I've missed him, but that's silly of course. I haven't exactly gone weeks without seeing him.

And then I remember I let Michael kiss me and I could've gone to bed with Michael if Brian hadn't come by. I feel unfaithful to Tony. I should tell him but it would mean stopping this lovely kiss.

Then he stops and says, "Listen, Angie—"

But I don't find out what he's going to say because the phone rings just then.