Charlie grinned. "Hi there, Kitty! How are you?"

"I'm fine!" Kitty sang.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you'd like to go to the club," said Charlie. "There's supposed to be a new band playing there tonight."

"I'd love to!" Kitty gushed. "Just give me five minutes to slip into something nicer."

"Sure." Charlie looked around while he waited for her to change clothes. "Nice place you have here."

"Thanks," said Louis. "Anne's put a lot of work into making it look nice."

A few minutes later, Kitty came bouncing back in an off-the-shoulder red lame gown. Charlie gave an appreciative whistle.

"Wow, you look hot!"

"Thanks," said Kitty.

Charlie took her hand and led her out of the house.

"They've both sure gotten over their broken marriages pretty fast," Anne remarked after they'd left.

"I don't think it's quite hit Charlie yet how much he's going to be paying out in child support, especially if both those women win their suits."

"I'm sure he's in for an unpleasant surprise," Anne agreed. "Maybe Terri will take him back if it turns out neither of the other babies are his."

Louis snorted. "You haven't known him as long as I have."

"This is so nice!" said Kathy as Henry pulled the chair out for her. "You're sure good at choosing restaurants!"

"Anything for you, my dear," Henry replied. "After what you've been through, you deserve to be pampered."

"I'm just glad I found out about Tommy now, instead of later."

The waiter handed them their menus, and they perused them.

"Order whatever you want," Henry told Kathy. She chose a moderately priced meal, and he ordered champagne for them both.

Spring became summer, and Maria waited eagerly for Philip's arrival, as she had the previous year. This time, her joy was unabated as she flew into his arms at the airport.

He hugged her tightly for a few seconds, then released her.

"Let me take a look at you," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair back from her face. "You're more beautiful than ever!"

"Thank you." Her eyes moved over his body, taking in his neatly styled short brown hair, his light blue polo shirt, his navy blue slacks, his loafers. "You look really nice as well. Come on. Mom invited us for dinner."

"That's great!" He grinned. "After that awful airline food, I'm ready for a home cooked meal."

Maria drove the short distance to the home she shared with her mother. Catalina saw them coming and went to open the door.

"Why, hello there!" she said. "How was your flight?"

"Fine," Philip replied.

"I hope you like chicken paella," said Catalina.

Philip beamed. "I love it!"

Catalina served the meal, and as they were eating, she asked Philip about his family.

"Papa's retired now," he told her. "He and Mama just celebrated their thirtieth wedding anniversary. I have an older brother, Otto. He's a professor, and his wife, Susanna, is a veterinary technician."

"That's wonderful," said Catalina. "It sounds like you are of excellent breeding."

"Yes ma'am."

"What's your father like?" asked Maria.

"His family has always come first with him, and now that he's retired, he and my mother have a lot more time to spend together. They travel a lot. They've been all over Germany and to Austria and Switzerland as well." His eyes got a dreamy look. "How well I remember all the skiing trips we used to take in the winter when I was a lad!"

"I've never even been skiing," said Maria.

"I'll take you someday," Philip promised.

Reese, who was wearing an aquamarine short set with matching sandals, greeted her father and stepmother enthusiastically at the airport.

"Can Katie come over and play?" she asked on the way to McDonald's.

"It's a bit late today," Louis told her. "Maybe we can arrange a play date for later in the week."

"But that's so long!" Reese complained, slumping down in the seat.

"When we get home, we can watch Frozen," her father replied.

"Hurray!"

Louis parked the car, and they got out and entered the restaurant.

"It sure is a good thing Kitty found that apartment a couple of weeks ago," Anne remarked as they stood in line to order their food.

"It would have been difficult if she hadn't," Louis agreed.

"It would have," Anne agreed.

Kitty had moved into a small apartment with Jill Parker and another girl, Joan Bulmer. The three young women split the rent and the other bills. The apartment was small and plain - nothing at all like Henry's luxurious house, which depressed Kitty.

"She's still dating Charlie, isn't she?" asked Louis.

"Yep," said Anne.

"And she hasn't told him she's pregnant yet?"

"Nope."

"All that going out drinking and dancing she does - it can't be good for the baby."

"Nope."

They purchased their food and sat down.

"I'm going to play in the gym," Reese announced.

"Not until you eat your hamburger," Louis told her.

She pouted.

"Come on, eat up." Louis grinned as he held the hamburger in front of her face. She paused for another moment, then grinned back and took it from him.

She ate about three fourths of the hamburger, and then Louis let her play in the gym. Anne watched as she joined the other children. She noticed that another family sitting near them had a newborn baby. The infant slept in its carrier while its parents ate.

A little while later, one of the little boys ran up to their table, and Anne realized he was their older child. He ate a French fry and then returned to his play.

Eventually Reese came back to sit with her father and stepmother as well.

"Isn't that baby precious?" Anne nodded toward the sleeping child.

"That's Logan's baby sister." Reese looked pensive. "Sometimes I wish I had a baby sister, too."