The next day, Maureen walked downstairs in an office-appropriate, blue dress. Della was getting her things together, "I'm ready," Maureen said.

Della turned around and smiled, "you look very nice and very professional."

"Thank you," the teen gave a slight smile.

Perry walked down the stairs, "look at you," he said to his daughter. "I didn't know you had a dress that long," he joked. Maureen rolled her eyes but smiled. The three got in the car and set off for the office. Maureen observed her parents when they entered Perry's office. Perry went to his desk while Della went about making coffee that she then brought to him. "Thank you, darling."

"You're welcome," Della smiled. She turned towards the table and saw a bunch of law books. Della sighed, "I forgot about those."

Perry looked up, "Maureen, please help your mother put those away."

"Yes, daddy," she said as she sat her bag down. The two took the books into the law library. "Do these go in a particular spot?"

"Yes," Della said as she sat what she was holding down. She was breathing heavily and a bit wheezy. Della told her daughter where the books went and then put the ones she brought in away. Maureen could hear her mother wheezing the entire time.

"Della!" Perry called from his office.

The woman and her daughter walked out, "yes, Perry?"

"Could you get Paul on the phone for me?"

"Sure," Della walked to the phone and made the call. Maureen was confused by her parents' office relationship. Della called Paul and asked him to come to Perry's office, "he'll be right here."

"Your breathing sounds worse," Perry said without looking up.

"I just carried all of those books into the library."

Paul walked into the office, "hello, Perry," he said, "hi, beautiful," he then saw Maureen, "min-beautiful."

"Hi, Uncle Paul," Maureen smiled.

"Della, could you type those notes up for me while I talk to Paul?"

"Sure," Della said and left the office.

"Daddy, do you need me to do anything?"

"You can take a break if you want."

"Okay," she said, "I'll just leave for a bit so you two can talk." She left the office and saw her mother staring at a notepad while typing. Her eyes never leaving the notepad. "Daddy didn't have anything for me to do."

"Well, then you can take a break."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Not look at what you're typing."

"I've been doing this for sixteen years. Longer if you count secretarial school. I wasn't always able to do this."

Maureen looked at the notepad, "what is that?"

"Shorthand," Della answered, "when you take notes, you have to move quickly. Shorthand helps you keep up." Della pulled the paper out of the typewriter, "there, done."

Perry and Paul walked out of the office, "Della, we're going to take a look around the victim's house. Order lunch for pick-up at eleven forty-five and we'll pick it up."

"Sure thing," Della wrote a note to herself. "Try to not get into trouble."

"When have I ever gotten myself in trouble?"

"Would you like me to answer that with your daughter standing here?"

Perry looked at Maureen, "never mind." The two men left.

"Do you always have to stay behind?"

"No," Della said, "I'm sure that because you're here and I'm sick that he didn't want me to go."

"So you admit that you're sick?"

Della looked at her daughter, "I admit nothing. Once you kids were born, I just stopped going until you were all done nursing."

"What do we do now?"

"Well, I guess we'll have to look around his office and see what he left us."

Just then, Perry walked back in, "Della, I forgot, call the phone company for those phone records." He turned to leave, but turned back, "oh, and I need the financial records of the victim, our client, and anyone close to the victim."

"Got it," she said as she wrote it down. Perry left and Della went into the office. Maureen followed, "sweetheart, you can just relax for now."

"Um, okay," Maureen said. She pulled out a book she'd brought and sat on the couch. Della made the necessary phone calls, organized Perry's desk and files, and set the table for lunch. Maureen would offer to help, but Della would always say she was fine.

At noon, Perry and Paul returned with lunch. "Well," Della said, "so far you're not in trouble. I guess we'll have to see if Tragg shows up here soon. Here," Della took the bag from her husband and put everyone's lunch on plates. The four sat down to eat.

"So, mini-beautiful, have you learned anything today?"

"Mom showed me how to put the law books away, how to type, and what shorthand is."

"Will you look at that?" Della pretended to be surprised, "she was paying attention. Actually, Maureen has had a lot of questions and has been very helpful. Even though, I didn't let her help while you were gone."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Perry joked.

Maureen was actually quiet during lunch. She didn't really speak to Perry or Paul the rest of the day. "Maureen," Della walked over to her daughter around five, "I'm going to take you to dinner and then drop you off at home."

"Aren't you coming home too?"

"Probably not until ten."

"I can stay till then."

"There's nothing for you to do."

"So? It's not as if this is a school night."

"I guess if you want to stay, you can. We could just pick up dinner and bring it back here."

"What do you guys usually do?"

Della chuckled, "pick up dinner on the way home and eat in the car."

"Then that's what we'll do."

It was almost ten and Maureen was ready to go home. While she had helped her mother, Della did most of the work. That's the way Della wanted to do things. Paul walked in just before everyone left, "are we going to eat?"

"You do realize we have five children at home and one here with us?" Della asked.

"So? Both of you have to go home?"

"Who would you rather go to dinner with, Paul?" Perry teased with a smile.

"Well, Della's better to look at."

Perry and Della chuckled, "I won't argue with you on that. It's nice being married to my secretary. As long as we're married, she won't leave."

"Is that why you married me?" Della joked.

"You didn't know?" Perry teased. "No, that's not why I married you. It's why I hired you two years later. You know how much I hate training. I'd hate to have to break another one of you in."

"It is exhausting," Paul said.

"Oh my God!" Maureen yelled as she stood. The three adults looked at her in shock, "do you hear yourselves?"

"Maureen, we're just joking around," Perry said.

"At my mother's expense. Most of the jokes have been about her. Uncle Paul would rather eat with her so he can stare at her."

"I think that was more of a joke about my looks," Perry said.

"And you," Maureen said with anger, "all you've done is order her around all day. You hardly say 'please' and 'thank you.' You needed her to call Uncle Paul for you. You don't know how to use a phone? Then you talk about breaking in a new secretary. Then you make a sexual joke about breaking in a new secretary. Joking or not, it was disgusting. I'm disappointed in both of you. In fact, I've lost all respect for you," Maureen grabbed her things and left.

"I'll go after her," Della said.

Once Della was gone, Perry and Paul looked at each other, "I did not see that coming," Paul said.

"I should have. At home, Della and I share everything. We speak to each other differently than we do at work."

Della rushed to catch up with her daughter, "Maureen, wait," she yelled. The girl stopped and Della gently turned her around to face her, "hey," she said softly, "what was that all about?"

Maureen's eyes were watery, "I didn't like how they were talking to you."

"Sweetheart, we've been alone together most of the day. Why didn't you say something?"

"You were so busy."

"I'm never too busy for my children."

"Why do you put up with it?"

"Because I know that they're just teasing and that there's no ill will."

"You just seem to work so much harder and then get dumped on."

"Honey, I love my job. Your father and I have always joked like that with one another. Maybe not at home, but we have too many kids to have alone time there. Your Uncle Paul is like a brother to me, so he teases me as a brother would. As Uncle Denny and Uncle Patrick do. As the boys tease you."

"I didn't know how much you did here."

"Well, now you do."

"I guess I'd better go apologize."

"I'm right behind you."

Maureen and Della headed back to the office. "Daddy, Uncle Paul, I'm sorry for what I said."

"Don't be," Perry said. "You were in shock because your mom and I are different here than we are at home. We're all so used to each other and didn't think about anything upsetting you. I want you to know that I value and respect your mother. There's no one out there who could do her job as well as she does it. I'd be lost without her."

"It's true," Paul said, "we'd both be lost without her. Your mom is the best at her job. Don't tell your Aunt Gertie I said that. Besides, your mom is the sister I never had and I like to tease her."

"That's what mom said," Maureen said.

"I also knew your father before he met your mother and he was lost without her."

"Why don't you and your mom go get a booth and we'll meet you there?" Perry suggested.

"Okay," Maureen hugged her father, "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too."

She then hugged Paul, "I love you, Uncle Paul."

"I love you, mini-beautiful."

Della and Maureen walked down to the restaurant. Before they reached the door, Della stopped and leaned against the building. "Mom?" Maureen turned and saw her mother with a hand on her chest. "What's wrong?"

"Just lost my breath for a moment." Della reached out to take her daughter's arm but changed her mind. Maureen realized that and wrapped her arm around her mother's. The two walked to the restaurant and were seated at the booth.

"Sir," Maureen looked at the host, "my mother really needs some water."

"Right away, miss," he said.

The man quickly returned to the table with a glass. Della thanked him and Maureen gave him a tip, "it's not much, but it's all I have. Thank you," she said, "I know it's not your job."

"Doesn't matter," he said, "I was happy to do it." He handed the money to her, "you keep this. I appreciate it, but it's not necessary. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you," Maureen said and the man left. "Do you feel any better?"

"A little," Della said.

The waitress walked over and Maureen ordered food and drinks for everyone. Just as the waitress left, Paul and Perry joined them, "man, I wanted to order," Paul said.

"I took care of it," Maureen said.

"How?" Perry asked.

"I've paid attention the last fifteen years. I know what you all liked."

Perry noticed his wife was a bit flushed, "Della, are you alright?"

"I'm just tired."

"We could have gone home."

"It's fine," she said.

"I'm going to use the restroom before our food gets here," Maureen said. She gave her father a look and walked away.

"I should call and check that the house is still standing," Perry said and walked in the same direction as Maureen. He found her waiting outside of the bathroom. "What's going on?"

"When we were almost here, she stopped, leaned against the building, and put a hand to her chest. She said that she lost her breath. I had to help her the rest of the way."

Perry sighed, "I don't know what to do."

"Well, I really do have to go to the bathroom."

Perry smiled, "I'll really call the house so what we said will be the truth."