6. Tofu and Other Misfortunes

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"Help? How?" Carly stared at the young Doctor Hughes as he shushed her, nervously darting his eyes around the diner. The paranoia grew contagious and Carly started looking over her shoulder as well. "Are you alright?" she asked, seeing only a few other diners absorbed in their own pursuits.

"Tofu," he muttered, screening himself behind the menu again when he saw the waitress head in their direction.

"Excuse me?" Jack said, not understanding.

Their waitress arrived. "Hey ya, Jack. Can I take your order?"

Jack recognized the girl-Wanda-from when he'd been married to Janet. And from the subtle way she'd ignored his current wife, his guess was she and Janet were friendly. "Sure. I'll have-"

"Can we have another minute?" Carly interrupted, her icy smile attesting to the fact she didn't like the snub.

"Of course," the waitress replied. "Have you decided yet, Doctor Hughes?" she asked.

"No...not yet."

Shrugging, she walked back behind the counter and took a tub of dirty dishes back into the kitchen.

"Thanks!" Talking out of the side of his mouth, he continued pretending to study the menu. "Could you order me a bacon cheeseburger? And fries?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Order your own lunch," he curtly suggested.

"I can't!"

Jack's eyebrows shot up. Sensing his annoyance, Carly laid her hand in his, stopping him from badgering Chris into an explanation. "Why can't you order lunch?"

"Katie won't let me."

Curling her lip, Carly reluctantly searched the diner for the tiny blonde harpy. "Where is she? The bathroom?" Carly asked, not seeing the former Mrs. Jack Snyder. True, she was now the Widow Snyder, but deep in her heart, Carly would always remember the lengths to which her former friend had gone to to destroy her life. It didn't matter that everything had worked out; Carly would never be that unguarded around Katie again. Never.

"She's not here. She doesn't need to be. She has eyes and ears everywhere-"

"Are you on any kind of medication, Chris?" Jack asked bluntly, having heard plenty of addicts ramble the same way during the years on the force. "Maybe we should call your doctor. Tom and Margo. Get you to the emergency room."

"I'm perfectly fine," Chris insisted, giving Jack a blank look. "Tofurkey," he blurted. "Last night, we're having dinner, and that's what she made. Who in their right mind thinks that's edible? Morning, noon, night-that's all we have. Tofu breakfast scramble. Smoothies. Turkey. Hotdogs...honestly, how can anyone enjoy that?" he pleaded. "No matter how much ketchup, mustard, relish-that taste. ICK."

Carly smothered a laugh. He sounded exactly like Parker or Sage facing down broccoli.

"You're acting like an idiot because you don't like Katie's cooking?" Jack asked, pissed. "Pick up the phone. Order pizza."

"Now, Jack-"

"She knows everyone. She's told them not to deliver to the house. You know what Katie's like. I wake up in the middle of the night, sneak into the kitchen, and find nothing but little notes telling me it's now a Junk Food Free Zone. It's not natural."

"Really?" Jack asked, stone-faced.

"I lied to my fiancee, told her I was picking up something for Jake's birthday. Instead I'm sitting here, salivating at the smell of french fries. I had to wait until Henry left, because he'd be on the phone to Katie the minute I stepped in here. But the girl-it's like I'm on a wanted poster or something. She knows not to give me a hamburger."

Carly's urge to laugh at a typical Katie overkill situation died as she watched Jack's face turn ashen.

Scowling, Jack rose abruptly, the chair shrilly scraping across the floor. "I have to get back to the station, " he said, stalking out the entrance without as much as a kiss goodbye.

"Did I say something?" Chris asked, at a loss for the swift exit, his dining dilemma momentarily backburnered. "Is he always so moody?"

"Cancel our order," Carly shouted out, forgetting they'd never gotten around to ordering anything as she slid into her jacket and flipped her hair free of the collar. "Do yourself a favor, Chris. Grow a set. It's the only way to keep Katie from walking all over you."

Dashing out the door, she had to run a block and a half to catch up to her husband. "Jack, stop!" she finally called out. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, panting.

"Chris Hughes is a-a moron!" His face was a mottled, angry red as his hands sliced through air. "Did you listen to him? He's complaining because Katie's concerned about him. Weening him off late night junk food binges! The idiot would probably drown in Cheetos if left on his own."

"Somehow I doubt that," Carly replied drolly. "Maybe beer, but a mountain of Cheetos would leave air pockets." The only reaction from Jack was a clenched jaw. "Fine...he's a moron incapable of fighting his way out of a junk food jungle. That make you feel better?"

"Why are you defending that bonehead? Isn't this the same kid who was sleeping with Molly and dating Abi? And then declared to a churchful of people he was in love with Emily while at the altar to marry her sister?"

"I can't keep track of all of Molly's dating blunders. Holding a grudge against all of them would be a 24/7/365 day a year job. Besides," she reminded him pointedly, "who hasn't walked out of a wedding or three in this town? Better to walk out than marry someone you don't love? Right?"

"Are you throwing Janet in my face? Or Katie?"

That remark snapped Carly's patience. "I don't know Jack...there are so many to choose from. I think I'm being incredibly understanding, considering I'm hungry, pregnant and newly wed to someone who's dangerously close to acting like it's his business who's stumbling around Katie's kitchen at two in the morning!"

"Her fiancee," he bristled. "You know damn well I love you! But forgive me. I'm a little concerned that once again, Katie is moving on to the first guy that comes along! She was going to run off with Simon! Now she's living with this jerkwad?"

"What else is new?" Carly huffed. "She's made a science out of it. Simon to Mike; you and Brad and back again. Throw Henry into the mix and it's her own personal merry-go-'round. Emphasis on the merry."

A well-timed ring from Jack's cell phone interrupted them. "Snyder!" he barked. Listening, he rubbed his forehead; his face taking on a detached air. "I understand." Calmly snapping his phone shut, he grabbed Carly's hand. "C'mon," he said, checking the crosswalk before leading her across the street. "We've got to go."

"Jack Snyder!" she protested, finally pulling her hand free as they headed into the OPD's parking lot. "We're not finished talking about this," she warned, thinking the intent was to pack her off in her car while he went back to work.

"That was Eastlake. JJ's been expelled."

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"Pepperoni or sausage?" Parker asked. Standing in line at Subs and Slices, he looked at Faith, unsure of what she preferred for lunch.

"Pepperoni," she answered, delighted at his manners as he balanced slices, breadsticks, sodas and two mint chocolate chip cookies while guiding them through the throng of teenagers to seats in the back. "Thank you," she said as they sat down. "I'm starving. I didn't eat breakfast."

"You had plenty of time," he reminded her. "If you hadn't spent the morning texting me anyway."

"I didn't."

"Okay. Whatever you say."

He was smiling, so Faith knew he was gently teasing her. "I don't know how long it takes you to type, but it doesn't take me all morning to send three texts."

"Three? Try twenty."

"I did not!" she insisted in between bites.

"Oh, really?" Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his messages, reading them back to her: Parker r u there? Parker txt me if u r still picking me up. Parker, Al's b4fs? Al's Before what?"

"My thumb got in the way. It was supposed to be Al's for breakfast?"

"Oh, okay," Parker agreed. "That's just between 6:30 and 7 a.m." he continued. Parker call ASAP At 5:58 a.m. I didn't even know you got up that early," he said, disbelieving yet impressed.

"That's not me."

"It's right here," he teased, waving it under her nose to prove his point.

"That's from JJ last night," she said, looking closely. "I sleep through my alarm, and that's set for 6:15," she assured him. "No way I'm texting before 6 a.m., dude."

"JJ? Oh crap," he muttered, yanking the phone back to scroll through the texts. "Man, they're all from him." Dialing his brother's number, he got voicemail on the first ring. "Man, I'm sorry. Call me back." Shoving his phone into his pocket, he tore a breadstick in two.

"You think it's bad, don't you?" Faith asked, noting the change in attitude.

"Yeah, I do. JJ never asks for help."

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Left alone, Chris sulked in his seat. "This sucks," he muttered to himself. "Carly's right, give Katie an inch, and she'll take eternity." Motioning to the waitress, he returned the menu. "I'll have a bacon cheeseburger. Hold the onions."

"Dr. Hughes-"

"Please," he firmly asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, Wanda wrote the order down on her pad and left.

It was delicious. From the lightly toasted bun, to the crisp bacon to the sour bite of pickle-it was perfection. He savored every morsel, restraining himself from licking his fingers when he was done. But in the spirit of compromise, he ate exactly two of the fries that came on his plate.

"There you are!"

Chris' head snapped up. "Andy!"

"Hey, little brother!"

"What are you doing back in town, bro?" he asked, rising and slapping his brother on the back as they hugged. "The last I heard, you were off snapping pics of flooding in Pakistan."

"And then the wildfires in Russia."

"Never a dull moment, huh?"

"You're no slouch. Fatal disease. Heart transplant," Andy retorted. "Just forgot to mention it to anyone?"

"Yeah," Chris admitted sheepishly. "I was kind of stupid thinking I could handle it on my own."

"Kind of?"

"Okay, okay...very stupid. But I didn't want to worry Mom. I thought I'd licked it once."

"She give you one of her kiddo speeches yet?"

"About three days after the surgery. You should have seen how mad she was," Chris told him. "If she could have, she probably would have taken me out to the woodshed."

"Lucky for you. I still feel like kicking your ass."

Grinning, Chris put up his fists, defending himself like a boxer. As they sat down, Andy immediately snatched some fries off his plate and dipped them in ketchup. "So, how long are you back for?"

"A while. A good long while," Andy replied. "You know my dad's back in town."

"Best cardiologist I know."

"Well, he's here. I thought I'd come see my brother and his new heart. And Oakdale's a good place for Hope. Denise got the opportunity to tour with her dance company for six months in Europe. I thought it would be a good idea to spend some time with my daughter before she takes off for college."

"That's got to be tough, hitting a new school your senior year."

Andy shook his head. "They'd just moved to San Franscisco when Denise got the call. I think Hope would prefer to go back to Houston, but that wouldn't work for me."

"Mom is going to love this. You and me. Hope and Jake."

"Jake?"

"That's Katie's son Jacob."

"Oh...Katie? Katie Peretti?"

"Yeah, Katie. I asked her to marry me. We moved into Tom and Margo's house. Jake's going to be one in a couple of days. Hopefully soon he'll have a brother or sister to fight with."

Andy looked at him in surprise. "It's going to take me a while to digest all of that. My little brother. Married. Father."

"Jake is just the best kid. He so calm. Katie is running all over the house, bubble wrapping table corners because he's learning to walk. He simply motors over to the couch, pulls himself up and practices over there. It's like he knows how protective she is, and he's saying, "okay, mom, we'll do it your way for now." She's a great mom." Something clicked in his head, and he looked at the plate his hamburger had come on guiltily. "Overprotective, but great. You heard what happened to her husband, Brad Snyder? Did you know him?"

"Mom mentioned it. Brad? Yeah, I knew him. Not all that well, but at one point when I was dating Molly we crossed paths. He was all about Camille Bennett at that time. And blowing up Carly Tenney's life."

"It's Carly Snyder again. She and Jack were just in here. I don't think Jack likes me," he confided.

"Why would that be a problem?"

"I'm not sure it's a problem. But he is Jake's uncle. I want us all to get along."

"Good luck. I'm not sure much changes any Snyder's mind."

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"Thanks, Mrs. Wallace!" Sage waved, smiling brightly as her friend Sydney's mother dropped them off at dance class. It had been a surprise to see her outside the school, motioning to her as Sage waited for her mother to pick her up. Checking her cell phone, there was a text about having to straighten out something at JJ's school, so Sage piled into the Wallace's van.

As she and Sydney chatted away along with the younger Wallace children, a thought came into her head.

So, as the Wallace van pulled out of the parking lot, Sage pulled Sydney aside. "Tell Mrs. Lewis I couldn't come today."

"But you're right here," Syd pointed out.

"She hasn't seen me yet. Please? I've got something I've got to do."

"Like what?" Syd said skeptically. Sage was one of her best friends; she could tell something was spinning inside her head. The last time she'd seen that look, Sage had entered that dorky Little Miss Snowflake contest. The snooty girls at school had teased her for months.

"Go to my Aunt Emma's."

"You can do that anytime."

"But it has to be today," Sage persisted. "Please? I'll explain why later. I have to go now." Not giving Sydney a chance to protest further, she took off.

"You owe me Sage!"

Waving off the rebuke, Sage made one stop, and then headed behind the mall, taking the shortest path home to get her bike.

"Sage, where are you going? Class started five minutes ago."

Surprised, Sage barely recognized her instructor Miri with her hair down and in jeans and a denim jacket. "I'm not feeling well. I'm heading home."

"Why aren't you waiting for your mother?"

"She's busy," Sage stalled. "Besides my dad says fresh air is good for a headache."

"Let me give you a ride home," Miri suggested.

Weighing her options, Sage shrugged her shoulders. "Okay. Thanks."

Seated in the slightly beat up car, Sage directed Miri out of the mall and out of Oakdale proper to Milltown. "My house is on Elm Street. At the end of the block."

"It looks like a pretty neighborhood. Have you lived here long?"

"Sure. Ever since I was born. Except for when I lived with my dad at the farm. But it's still Oakdale. Kind of," Sage sighed. "The most boring town in the United States."

"I doubt that," Miri laughed.

"Where are you from?" Sage asked.

"A lot of places. I was born in Springfield. Not that I remember it. We moved around a lot. Kansas City, Missouri, not Kansas. Boise. Portland,Oregon, not Maine. Brownwood Texas. Nice town..."

"Terrible name," Sage finished, wrinkling her nose. "Why move here?"

"It's close to Chicago. Less expensive to live here," Miri replied. "Nice people."

"I guess I don't notice. It seems like I'm related to half the town. They have to be nice to me. This is my street," Sage pointed out.

Miri pulled into their driveway and shut off her car. "It's a really nice house. How many brothers do you have again?"

"Two," Sage answered. "Thanks for the lift." Unbuckling her seat belt, Sage reached for the door handle.

"Why don't you tell me why you're really skipping ballet class," Miri said, grabbing Sage's wrist.