(Later that day... Birdie's House)
"Birdie, Christina... Please don't say I told you so, even though I deserve it." Kathleen said tearfully.
Birdie poured Kathleen another cup of tea.
"No one deserves what you've been through, Dear."
Christina took Kathleen's hand. "I just, I feel like it's my fault, you know?"
"That's ridiculous, Christina." Kathleen said, wiping away tears with her handkerchief. "You didn't do anything."
"Kathleen, are you serious? When you told me about Mr. New York being Joe Fox, I flipped out! I never do that! I'm so sorry!"
"You know, actually I should have listened to you. I wish I had never met Joe Fox."
"But what about Mr. New York?"
Kathleen smiled at Kristina's name for Joe. "NY152."
"Right, NY152. So now what are you going to do?"
Kathleen sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just spend my time working on my book. The deadline is getting closer and now I'll have a lot more time to finish it."
"Well, I hope it sells a million copies and makes so much money that Joe Fox will be sick with jealousy!" Kristina said.
"Thank you, Kristina." Kathleen said, hugging her friend. "Ever since we had to... close, I've really missed being around children, so writing a children's book is the next best thing. Why just the other day, I was in Fox Books, and there was the most adorable little boy. He-."
Kristina's eyes widened. "Fox Books? What in the world were you doing there?"
Ignoring Birdie's look of dismay, Kathleen went on;
"Well I was waiting for Joe because he..."
When her voice broke, Birdie and Christina were at Kathleen's side.
"I'm so sorry this happened." Christina said "Because you deserve all the happiness in the world."
Kathleen sighed. She'd already had all the happiness in the world. Now that it was gone, she wondered if she'd ever get it back.