Rachel got out of the cab she had taken from the Amtrak station. She felt a
little nervous. She hadn't seen Elizabeth in a long time, not since Mark's
funeral, and that was about 13 months ago. They had been e-mailing though,
and Elizabeth seemed to be very pleased about Rachel coming to visit. So
maybe everything would be fine. I hope so, anyway, Rachel thought.
She took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell. Elizabeth answered.
"Rachel," she said, smiling. They hugged awkwardly. "Come in. How was the
trip?"
"Oh, it was okay," Rachel said, shrugging.
"I would have met you at the station, but things at the hospital were quite
busy today," Elizabeth said. "I got home about 20 minutes ago."
"Oh that's okay," Rachel said. "I took a cab."
"Oh, speaking of which, how much was it?" Elizabeth said, and started looking
through her purse.
"Oh, don't worry about it. My mom gave me the money for it."
Elizabeth took out a twenty and a five and handed them to Rachel. "Well,
just keep it then."
"Thanks."
They talked for a little while, had dinner, and later Rachel played with Ella
in the nursery. Elizabeth did some housework and sat down to watch some
television in the den. Robert walked through the door around 10:00. "Robert,"
Elizabeth said. They kissed. "I thought you would be back earlier."
"Kerry dragged me into a meeting. Said she needed my help because she had an
issue with Housekeeping. You'd think she could handle that on her own. I
swear, that woman gets weepier and more emotional every day. If she didn't
spend so much time listening to those Indigo Girls CDs, maybe she'd be able
to do her job."
"Now, Robert," Elizabeth sighed.
"Sorry, Lizzie, I forgot how 'tight' you and Weaver are."
"So, how was the rest of the night?"
"It was fine," he said. "I missed you, though." They kissed again.
"She's in the other room," Elizabeth whispered.
"This is probably pretty tame stuff to her," Robert said. "But okay." He
pulled apart from Elizabeth reluctantly. She took his hand and they walked
into the other room. Rachel was playing with Ella, holding out some toys.
"Rachel?" Elizabeth said.
Rachel looked up. "Oh, hey."
"Rachel, this is Robert Romano."
"Hi," Rachel said.
"Hello," he said and held out his hand. She shook it.
"You knew my dad, didn't you?" Rachel said. "I think I saw you at the
funeral."
"Yes," he said. "I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Thanks," she said.
Robert looked at Elizabeth. "So, Rachel," Elizabeth started to say.
"Ella's getting really big," Rachel said. "It's so good to see her again. I
can play with her some more, if you guys have, other stuff to do."
"Well, all right," Elizabeth said. "We'll just be in here," she said,
indicating the living room, "If you need anything."
"Thanks," Rachel said. She shook one of the toys and Ella laughed and
grabbed it.
"It was nice to meet you," Robert said.
"You too," Rachel said, without looking up. "See you later."
Robert and Elizabeth went into the living room and sat on the couch. He put
his arm around her.
"That wasn't too bad," she whispered.
"Compared to what?" he said wryly. Elizabeth sighed. Robert smiled. "I'm just
kidding."
"I know, it's just - maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said, and then
sighed again. "Too late now to change anything, I suppose. I always feel so
strange around that girl, though."
"Well, you'll never totally trust her, will you?" he said. "I mean, she did
almost get Ella killed."
"Robert, quiet." Elizabeth whispered, her eyes darting towards the nursery.
"You don't want her to hear you."
"How can she hear us? She's five doors down." he said. "And while we're on
that subject, can we keep her away from the bedroom when we're in there? I
wouldn't want her to, uh, hear any strange noises."
"Stop it," Elizabeth said, and laughed. "We might have to, you know, put all
that on hold while she's here."
"No way."
"All right," she said. "But we will have to be quiet."
************************************************************************
little nervous. She hadn't seen Elizabeth in a long time, not since Mark's
funeral, and that was about 13 months ago. They had been e-mailing though,
and Elizabeth seemed to be very pleased about Rachel coming to visit. So
maybe everything would be fine. I hope so, anyway, Rachel thought.
She took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell. Elizabeth answered.
"Rachel," she said, smiling. They hugged awkwardly. "Come in. How was the
trip?"
"Oh, it was okay," Rachel said, shrugging.
"I would have met you at the station, but things at the hospital were quite
busy today," Elizabeth said. "I got home about 20 minutes ago."
"Oh that's okay," Rachel said. "I took a cab."
"Oh, speaking of which, how much was it?" Elizabeth said, and started looking
through her purse.
"Oh, don't worry about it. My mom gave me the money for it."
Elizabeth took out a twenty and a five and handed them to Rachel. "Well,
just keep it then."
"Thanks."
They talked for a little while, had dinner, and later Rachel played with Ella
in the nursery. Elizabeth did some housework and sat down to watch some
television in the den. Robert walked through the door around 10:00. "Robert,"
Elizabeth said. They kissed. "I thought you would be back earlier."
"Kerry dragged me into a meeting. Said she needed my help because she had an
issue with Housekeeping. You'd think she could handle that on her own. I
swear, that woman gets weepier and more emotional every day. If she didn't
spend so much time listening to those Indigo Girls CDs, maybe she'd be able
to do her job."
"Now, Robert," Elizabeth sighed.
"Sorry, Lizzie, I forgot how 'tight' you and Weaver are."
"So, how was the rest of the night?"
"It was fine," he said. "I missed you, though." They kissed again.
"She's in the other room," Elizabeth whispered.
"This is probably pretty tame stuff to her," Robert said. "But okay." He
pulled apart from Elizabeth reluctantly. She took his hand and they walked
into the other room. Rachel was playing with Ella, holding out some toys.
"Rachel?" Elizabeth said.
Rachel looked up. "Oh, hey."
"Rachel, this is Robert Romano."
"Hi," Rachel said.
"Hello," he said and held out his hand. She shook it.
"You knew my dad, didn't you?" Rachel said. "I think I saw you at the
funeral."
"Yes," he said. "I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Thanks," she said.
Robert looked at Elizabeth. "So, Rachel," Elizabeth started to say.
"Ella's getting really big," Rachel said. "It's so good to see her again. I
can play with her some more, if you guys have, other stuff to do."
"Well, all right," Elizabeth said. "We'll just be in here," she said,
indicating the living room, "If you need anything."
"Thanks," Rachel said. She shook one of the toys and Ella laughed and
grabbed it.
"It was nice to meet you," Robert said.
"You too," Rachel said, without looking up. "See you later."
Robert and Elizabeth went into the living room and sat on the couch. He put
his arm around her.
"That wasn't too bad," she whispered.
"Compared to what?" he said wryly. Elizabeth sighed. Robert smiled. "I'm just
kidding."
"I know, it's just - maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said, and then
sighed again. "Too late now to change anything, I suppose. I always feel so
strange around that girl, though."
"Well, you'll never totally trust her, will you?" he said. "I mean, she did
almost get Ella killed."
"Robert, quiet." Elizabeth whispered, her eyes darting towards the nursery.
"You don't want her to hear you."
"How can she hear us? She's five doors down." he said. "And while we're on
that subject, can we keep her away from the bedroom when we're in there? I
wouldn't want her to, uh, hear any strange noises."
"Stop it," Elizabeth said, and laughed. "We might have to, you know, put all
that on hold while she's here."
"No way."
"All right," she said. "But we will have to be quiet."
************************************************************************