"Fran!" Sylvia exclaimed as she opened her front door. "I was beginning to worry about you. I tried to get a hold of you after your father and I got back from Florida but every time I called I was told you were out with Niles which I found—"

At the mention of his name Fran let out a sob.

"Ohhh Maaa!" She blubbered, her eyes brimming over with tears for the second time in an hour.

"Frannie, what's wrong? Why are you crying? You and Mr. Sheffield have a fight?" Sylvia asked as she led Fran into the kitchen, promptly pulling out an enormous turkey leg from the fridge.

"Nooo it's not that. Not that at all actually…" Fran sniffled and paused, "Got any chocolate Ma?"

"Oh sure, we got some leftover birthday cake of your sister's."

"Ma, Nadine's birthday was two months ago!" Fran exclaimed.

"Your point?" Sylvia put it bluntly.

"OH. Right, that's fine," Fran settled at the table with the birthday cake.

"So you wanna tell me what's going on?" Sylvia asked through a mouthful of turkey leg.

Fran sighed dejectedly and went into the long story. She told her mother everything starting with getting fed up with Mr. Sheffield's lack of commitment and ending with how they had just recently exchanged 'I love you's'.

"Fran!" Her mother stopped and shook her arm furiously.

"What?"

"WHAT'S THE PROBLEM THEN!"

"Well Ma, you haven't heard it all. Niles and—" Fran started.

"Forget it. Mr. Sheffield is in love with you! Oh I'm so HAPPY!…for you Darling, of course." Her mother sighed contentedly.

"But I really feel upset about Niles—"

"Darling, this is wonderful news. Oh! If I call your cousin Georgie it might be able to make the 6 o'clock news!" Her mother started going for the phone.

"MA!"

Her mother finally paused and looked at Fran. "What is it?" She cried exasperatedly.

"Ma." Fran adopted a sterner attitude, "Listen to me. I need to tell you something."

"All right," her mother gave in.

"Sit!" Fran commanded holding the turkey leg out like a treat and like a faithful dog her mother obeyed.

"Ma…I …I don't know why this is happening to me but suddenly I'm not so sure about me and Mr. Sheffield."

"WHA—" Fran anticipated her mother's inevitable outburst and shoved the half-eaten turkey leg in her mouth.

"Sshh! Let me finish…Ma, the more time I spent with Niles while we were hatching our plan, the less I thought about Mr. Sheffield. And seeing the way I'd led Niles on, hurting him like that." Fran shook her head sadly, "and then realizing I was losing my best friend…and yes I finally did get to Mr. Sheffield and he said he loved me but now…" Fran paused feeling sort of light-headed all of a sudden, "I suddenly realize that that wasn't the voice I wanted to hear those words from and…" Fran felt like she'd made some sort of breakthrough by speaking her incoherent thoughts out loud. Still there was something on her chest that was weighing her down.

Sylvia had paused in mid-chew, "So wait a minute, Fran. Lemme see if I get this straight." She looked her daughter dead in the eyes, "You're telling me that you'd throw a way a gorgeous millionaire who just told you he loved you because you'd rather be with the toilet bowl cleaner? What's WRONG with you!" She began shaking Fran by the shoulders.

"Ma, Ma!" Fran cried.

Her mother paused with a thought, "Well…at least you'd never go hungry."

"No, that's YOU, Ma," Fran pointed out.

"Oh yeah," Her mother replied. "But Franela! What are you thinking? Are you in …you're not…" Sylvia paused, holding the thought out, praying that it wasn't true.

Fran looked back at her mother but insider thoughts were elsewhere. Swirling. She always had a blast when he was around, he helped her get out of more scrapes than she could imagine, she told him everything, he was her confidante, he was her best friend, she thought about him everyday, lately she was constantly wondering what he was doing and where he was when she wasn't with him, fixing herself up when she was around him, suddenly noticing more and more those glances he gave her when she'd make an entrance with a skimpy skirt or enticing dress, suddenly noticing his appearance—his slightly ruffled cornsilk hair, smooth skin, and blue eyes that sparkled and danced over her and a grin that literally made her insides melt, his warm and comforting hugs when she was upset…those broad shoulders and strong arms, the thoughtfulness he showed by always keeping a freezer stocked with Ben & Jerry's…Fran's mouth dropped open as she focused on her mother…

"YES Ma. Yes! I'm in love with him!" She yelled ecstatically.

Her mother looked up at the ceiling, "Please be Mr. Sheffield, please be Mr. Sheffield!" She prayed earnestly.

"It's Niles, Ma! I love him, I love HIM!" Fran shouted at her mother.

"NOOOOoooooo…." came the wail from her mother.

Fran was suddenly sobered as the thought of Mr. Sheffield came into her mind. And what about him? She paused and allowed the thought of him to enter her mind. But nothing flowed. No tender thoughts, no tugging at the heartstrings. The passion might have been there but nothing else seemed to emote from her. In fact, she felt a little numb on the subject. Odd. Odd that she had worked so hard and diligently and dutifully on something she had thought she wanted so badly when all along…she already had what she really wanted. NILES. That is if she hadn't yet ruined everything between them. Well there was still time to fix that. But first things first. She had to straighten out matters with Mr. Sheffield.

Fran quickly hugged her mother who was faking palpitations, handed her her 'medicine' (a can of whipped cream), and yelled, "Wish me luck Ma!" as she ran out the door.