A/N: This is something that was written as a spur-of-the-moment whim, so my usual attention to detail is severely lacking here, and I apologize for that, but I had to get this written and published when I did – I will explain why in the footnote.
There were a number of guests within the rather fancy, upscale restaurant on that June evening who kept stealing glances at a certain woman sitting at a cozy table, and for good reason: the tall, bespectacled Jewish woman with the long, curly brown hair, and the floor-length, sleeveless, sparkling blue dress that hugged her body in all of the right places, was quite stunning. She wasn't usually one to go flashy, but there was a significant and symbolic reason why she wore such a dress that evening, as she was to match her wife who would wear the same dress, only in red. She looked down at the ring on her finger; a gold setting encrusted with bright blue sapphires – a bit gaudy for her taste, but her wife insisted she deserved the best… plus, it matched her own ring, which was likewise a gold setting, but encrusted with bold red rubies. She could still recall that day approximately one year ago: she, in a long and flowing blue gown accented with white details, had just been walked down the aisle by her parents. When she looked up, she saw her longtime girlfriend –now bride- also being walked down the aisle by her parents, draped in a long and flowing red gown accented with gold details, among other adornments. In that moment, her bride looked every bit like the Indian queen she was always so happy to serve.
But, where was her Indian queen? They had reservations for their anniversary dinner. Menus, bread, and a bottle of champagne had already been brought to the table, but one half of the party was still conspicuously absent. It wasn't like her to be late for an occasion such as this. Shannon Tannenbaum grabbed her mobile and sent a text message to her wife to inquire of her tardiness.
In a law office elsewhere in town, Ruby Tannenbaum could feel the vibration from her phone tucked away in the pocket of the skirt of her suit… she knew exactly what it was about. Unfortunately, she had to ignore it, because of another, more pressing matter that had been presented to her. Her employer knew she had plans to celebrate her wedding anniversary that evening, but a family of three sought legal counsel from them, and given the nature of their case, Mrs. Tannenbaum was the associate recommended for the initial consultation.
The case involved a eleven-year-old boy named Jared, whose only crimes were being an 'accident' and having two fathers; one being his biological father, a man named Kent, the other being his stepfather, a man named Jonathan. The circumstances that lead to Jared's birth were the results of Kent previously trying to repress his sexuality and conform to preconceived societal norms that a man was meant to be with a woman, and as such, had reluctantly entered a full-blown sexual relationship with a woman named Kelly. Kelly's pregnancy was unplanned, and doubled with eventually learning of Kent's true sexuality, decided to terminate both their relationship and custody of their son, of whom Kent was awarded sole custody of. Since then, Kent met another man who brought him the happiness he really sought. Jonathan also readily accepted Jared as a stepson, and the two men raised him in a loving home. Upon learning of this turn of events, Kelly did a complete one-eighty in her attitude, and decided to fight to regain custody of Jared again, citing that the boy needs to grow up in an environment with a mother. Kent and Jonathan, however, could see right through her game: this wasn't about what was best for Jared; this was about not wanting Jared to be raised by, 'those people.' Still, Kelly was bringing in the big guns in her attempt to get the child she birthed into this world out of such an environment, but neither Kent nor Jonathan were willing to take this without a fight… all of which resulted in poor Jonathan –who did nothing to deserve such- getting caught in the middle of what was shaping into a nasty custody battle.
Given that Ruby Tannenbaum and her wife, Shannon, were instrumental in shutting down the Right Path conversion camps, and exposing Shannon's grandparents as the founders of the organization, it was a no-brainer that she be recommended to represent Jared, Kent, and Jonathan. Although Ruby's heart certainly bled for Jared, and she possessed empathy for him as well as Kent and Jonathan, her mind was not at all on the case – it was on trying to get out of there as soon as she possibly could so she could meet up with her wife for their anniversary dinner. It was the formalities such as this that Ruby enjoyed the least about her newfound profession; she much preferred getting out there in the courtroom and arguing the cases before the judge.
The consultation drew to a close, and Kent and Jonathan were informed that they would receive an engagement agreement via e-mail within the next twenty-four hours to review and decide if they wish to move forward with their case, but given Mrs. Tannenbaum's successful track record despite being young and still relatively new, Kent and Jonathan felt confident she was the right choice for them, and were willing to sign. Finally, Ruby could get out of there.
She briefly debated making a pit stop at home to change into her matching dress, but figured her wife had waited long enough… besides, she wore a red blouse under her black suit, she could just remove her blazer before stepping into the restaurant. She also did not bother to waste any further time attempting to call or text her wife that she was on her way; she wanted to get to the restaurant as quickly as possible. Alas, by the time Ruby finally arrived, the restaurant was in the process of closing for the evening, and she had been informed that the young lady at the Tannenbaum table already left quite some time ago. Now, Ruby felt terrible that she inadvertently stood her own wife up on their first anniversary as woman and wife. She almost expected to receive a big chill when she arrived home, but instead, she discovered her wife had already gone to bed for the evening.
In a sense of defeat, and not wishing to disturb her wife's slumber, Ruby quietly removed her bed clothes from the dresser drawer in their bedroom, but instead, retired to the guest room. Having a guest room came in handy whenever the pair had company who would stay with them on occasion… such as Shannon's busybody, brown-nosing mother, Candice, who often invited herself over to cook meals for the pair… and who also wanted to make sure the two didn't get up to any shenanigans before they got married, despite being clueless to the fact that her daughter and her life partner had already reached such a point years ago during a slumber party. Shannon dearly loved her mother, and was well-adjusted to her meddling and smothering growing up, but now it felt awkward whenever she stayed with her and Ruby – before or after marriage. As Ruby lay in the guest bed staring at the ceiling, she lamented missing out on such a special evening with the one woman who was more special to her than anybody, and finally scrolling through the texts she received earlier did little to help.
Ur shining sapphire is here waiting for her radiating ruby! :D
They already took me to our table. I said you'd be here soon. :)
R U still at work? R U coming? :?
Where R U? :(
Ruby? :(
But the most damning text…
Going home. There about 2 close, I canceled r res. -_-
Sadly, this was not uncommon for Ruby or Shannon ever since they began attending college and changed their majors to Psychology and Law, respectively. Both courses required an intense amount of studying to prepare them for the changes in their future career paths, and even laying down the foundations for their new careers took quite a bit of blood, sweat, and tears. So as they settled into their new careers, so did they settle into their new life together, and could concentrate on finally tying the knot after being engaged for so many years. Still, in their professions, late nights would still occasionally pop up, specifically for Ruby, as Shannon had the luxury of running and operating her own practice. But tonight, of all nights, this had to happen? As she thought back to other times in the past she failed the love of her life, she noticed a pattern, and it deepened her guilt… she began to question if she was even good enough to Shannon… even good enough for Shannon. It was a question she would face when things took an interesting turn the following morning…
Shannon was still asleep when Ruby quietly skulked back into their bedroom to retrieve a change of clothes for the day ahead, but when Shannon's cell phone began to ring, she swiftly grabbed it and dashed out the room, not wanting her wife to be disturbed. (Thankfully, Shannon appeared to only stir about in bed, but that was it).
"Hello?" She accepted the call.
"Morning, Dr. Tannenbaum, its Tracey…" said the person on the other end.
"Tracey?" That named sounded a little familiar to Ruby, but she could not place who it was.
"Your receptionist?" The woman noted.
"Oh! Hi, Tracey, this is Mrs. Tannenbaum," said Ruby. "The doctor isn't in at the moment."
"Oh, that may be just as well," said Tracey. "She had a 10:30 appointment this morning, but it's a last minute cancellation. I was calling to see if she wanted to bump another appointment up, or leave it open."
Ruby thought about it for a moment, and responded, "You know what? Could you leave it open? I happen to know somebody who might need to see her."
Shannon was once again disappointed to find no signs of Ruby at home when she awoke to start her day; she figured she must have gotten involved in a really big case. After she ate a bagel for a quick breakfast, she arrived at her family practice, where she was greeted by her receptionist.
"Morning, Dr. Tannenbaum," Tracey greeted her employer.
"Morning, Tracey," Dr. Tannenbaum returned the greeting in somewhat glum manner.
"Your 10:30 cancelled, but you have a new patient waiting to see you," explained Tracey.
"Oh?" Shannon responded. "I wish you called me about that first. Do you have any information on them? Referrals? Insurance?"
"I did, actually, and I think those questions will be answered when you see them…" said Tracey.
Curious, Shannon knocked on her door to alert the patient waiting to see her of her arrival before stepping into her office. Although she strived to maintain a professional-looking office as much as possible, given that she was a family counsellor, a good portion of her office looked more like a children's thrift store. There were bins filled toy such as action figures, dolls, and stuffed animals; there were racks of puppets representing almost every race or creed; there were shelves of stimulating creative activities such as board games, and coloring books with big boxes of crayons; there were even a few small instruments handy for musical therapy; anything to help the children she treated feel as safe and comfortable as possible to connect with them and help them open up to her. For older patients, they had two options, depending on which made them feel more comfortable: there were chairs they could sit in in front of her desk, or there was a large leather chaise lounge if they preferred to lie down while being examined, which is where Shannon found her new patient waiting for her.
"Are you Dr. Tannenbaum?" Asked the young Indian woman who lay across the couch with her hands folded over her torso.
"I am," nodded Dr. Tannenbaum. "And, to whom do I owe this pleasure?"
"My name is Ruby," answered the patient. "I understand you're a highly recommended family counsellor… you might be who I need to examine my head."
"Well, this is a novel approach, but the fact that you've already recognized you have a problem is an important first step in getting you on the road to recovery," said Shannon as she set her purse and other personal belongings aside next to her desk before she retrieved a large pad of paper and a pencil so that she could take notes while examining her patient. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?"
"Well, I'm a family lawyer…" began Ruby.
"I see… are you here because somebody's filing a malpractice suit?" Shannon quipped. "I try to ease the tension, helps patients relax."
"No, Doc, I'm here because I have a legit problem…" said a solemn Ruby.
"And, what is this legit problem?" Shannon asked.
"Well… I'm married…" continued Ruby.
"I see…" noted Shannon. "And, that's your problem?"
"Absolutely not!" Ruby exclaimed. "I happen to be married to an amazing, incredible, remarkable woman…"
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere…" noted Shannon. "Well, Ruby, you came to the right place. I not only see and treat many LGBT patients, I am one myself; I understand the importance of being able to be your true self and triumph over people's prejudices…"
"I'm not LGBT," said Ruby.
"You're not?" Shannon asked. "You're married to a woman, but you're not LGBT?"
"I know, it's hard to understand…" said Ruby.
"Well, my job is to try to understand," said Shannon. "Explain to me however you can, and maybe then we can try to understand…"
"Well, Doc, it's like this…" continued Ruby. "I have no interest in women whatsoever, nor am I attracted to women… I happen to have fallen for a woman… but her gender has nothing to do with it. She was my bestie in high school, during a time when I drifted my way through one social circle after another, without establishing any meaningful connections with the people I hung out with… but everything changed when I met and got to know her. It was like I met my soulmate, and didn't even realize it… what I ended up feeling for her is something I've never felt for anyone else in my life… not even my ex-boyfriend when we dated for a while…"
"I see…" said Shannon thoughtfully as she tapped the eraser end of her pencil against her chin. "Ruby… you've noticed that pride flags come in a variety of different beautiful colors?"
"Yeah," nodded Ruby.
"Sexuality isn't black-and-white…" explained Shannon. "If anything, sexuality, like, say, autism, is seems to be something of a spectrum… that might explain why you fell for a specific woman, like your wife, despite not having any other interest or attraction to other women."
"Maybe…" responded Ruby.
"If that's the case, a little studying on the subject could help us figure what your exact orientation may be," suggested Shannon.
"Honestly, I don't even really care about that…" dismissed Ruby. "All I care about is there is literally no other person on the face of this planet I want to spend the rest of my life with…"
"It sounds as though you love your wife very much," noted Shannon.
That was when Ruby sat up straight to make better face-to-face contact with Dr. Tannenbaum, as well as offer a couple of visual aids. She first extended a finger from her left hand; specifically, the finger adorned with a jewelry item encrusted with rubies.
"You see this?" She asked.
"Oh, yes, that is quite an exquisite ring," marveled Shannon as she thoughtfully rubbed her chin, and specifically used her own left hand, so as to show off her matching ring that was encrusted with sapphires.
"You see this?" Ruby asked again, this time holding up what was draped around her neck.
"And that is a very lovely necklace," Shannon continued to marvel.
"It's a Mangalsultra," corrected Ruby before she explained. "My family is Indian, and in our culture, this symbolizes my status as a married woman. These were presented to me by my bride on our wedding day, and not once since that day have they left my body. I even surprised her by having my last name legally changed to hers; I wanted her to understand that I fully intend to dedicate my entire self to her, and her alone."
Ruby watched as Dr. Tannenbaum scribbled some notes down before she addressed her patient again…
"Well, Ruby, the picture I'm getting of you so far is that you seem to be a very devoted wife to your wife, which is truly commendable…" she noted. "That being said, what I'm not getting a clear picture of is the problem you claim to have in regards to your marriage… either you've left something out, or I've missed something… perhaps we can fill in the blanks so we can see what we need to do for you."
Ruby silently sighed through her nose and swallowed a lump in her throat, because she now felt the pressure to face her inner demons and put them out in the open. She hoped, however, that Dr. Tannenbaum could help her come to terms with it.
"You're right, Doc… I am devoted to my wife… or, I try to be… but… the truth is… I… I'm a horrible wife… I was a horrible girlfriend… I was a horrible friend… my wife deserves so much better than me, I can't figure out why she even stayed with me all these years after I've failed her so many times…"
Shannon's personal side was stunned to hear her wife speak so poorly of herself – even going so far as to claim herself to be a horrible wife, when Shannon thought just the opposite. Shannon's professional side, however, was the one who had to drive the direction in which this conversation was heading, because in that moment, this woman wasn't (just) her wife, she was her patient, and needed help.
"Are you comfortable talking about it?" Shannon prodded.
"Might as well, but they're sure not pleasant events to relive…" said Ruby as she lay back down on the couch.
"Well, if at any point you can't go on, just let me know, and we can take a break…" assured Shannon. "But, it's best to get all of this out in the open; bottling it up will only make things worse for you."
"Well… there was the time I tried to take charge of our relationship when we still dating…" began Ruby.
"Uh-huh…" nodded Shannon as she listened intently. "Was there any specific reason why you did that?"
"I… I convinced myself I was helping her, because she had no relationship experience, but I did…" continued Ruby. "But… what ended up happening was I became my ex-boyfriend… I controlled almost every aspect of her life, because… I felt like if I didn't, our relationship would sour like mine did with my ex-boyfriend… the only difference was I let him control me, and I wasn't going to let that happen again…"
"So, you were afraid of history repeating itself… as though you felt you needed to control somebody else to make sure they didn't control you first…" deduced Shannon.
"Yeah… that's what it was…" conceded Ruby. "But, it was more than that… I was also impatient… I was always so anxious to progress things between us when she was clearly not ready to make such big moves… I always overstepped her boundaries to fulfil my own selfish desires… like when I was really ready to be intimate with her, even though it went against her beliefs… but, we did it anyway… I knew I should have respected her beliefs, even if I didn't necessarily agree with them…"
Shannon nodded as she listened. She still remembered each of these instances clearly as Ruby described, even though they didn't hold the sweetest memories for her, either… for the most part, that is…
"It sounds like you both got caught up in the heat of the moment… and whatever other heat you may have been in…" she quipped.
"You could say I can totally handle the heat," Ruby bantered back. "But, still, I always let her down… I always fail her… there's been times when I said I'd be there for her, but I couldn't… I won't get into the really disturbing details of what happened in the past, but more recently, yesterday was our first anniversary as woman and wife…"
"Oh, congratulations!" Shannon felicitated.
"Except… I wasn't there to celebrate with her…" confessed Ruby. "We had dinner reservations, we were going to wear matching dresses, and everything… but it turned out to be one of those nights where I was kept at work longer than I needed to be… by the time I was finally able to leave, she already went home because the restaurant was closing, and I missed our whole anniversary!"
"It sounds like you're blaming yourself…" noted Shannon.
"Because I'm to blame… how can I not be?" Ruby asked.
"You said yourself your work kept you longer last night," said Shannon. "Circumstances like that can be unavoidable."
"It could have been if I insisted on somebody else taking the case, but they thought I was the best associate suited for it," explained Ruby.
"I see… professionally speaking, you must have proven yourself to be a real asset to your firm," said Shannon.
"I guess…" said Ruby. "But I don't want to end up becoming one of those people who are so consumed by their careers that they end up neglecting their loved ones… and that's what happened… I can just see my wife sitting there in that restaurant… all alone… with nobody celebrate her wedding anniversary… probably looking so gorgeous in her sparkling blue dress…"
Having been trained in acting in high school, Shannon managed to keep a straight face while she resumed her role of Dr. Tannenbaum, family counselor. On the inside, however, a river of emotions churned through her veins: she felt a flutter in her heart over the way Ruby flattered her, despite not seeing her in her new dress; she also felt a wave of empathy wash over her at seeing how eaten with guilt her wife felt – not just because she missed their anniversary dinner date the night before, but also because she still had trouble letting go of incidents that took place in the past… incidents that Shannon had long forgiven her for, which, doubled with her relationship studies, drove her next line of question…
"You know, Ruby, keeping the channels of communication open, in a free and respectful manner, is a key to maintaining a healthy relationship with our loved ones," explained Shannon. "Have you tried communicating with your wife about how you feel?"
"Always…" admitted Ruby. "I've probably said, 'I'm sorry,' to her more than I have anyone in my life…"
"And what does she say in response?" Shannon asked.
"She always forgives me… always…" continued Ruby, though her tone dropped even more, which peaked Dr. Tannenbaum's intrigue.
"You don't sound so sure of yourself…" noted Shannon.
"She's too good to me, Doc," insisted Ruby; she felt like she could break down in tears any moment. "What happens if… there ever comes a time where being sorry isn't enough anymore? Where I'm beyond forgiveness? Where the hurt can't be healed? I hate hurting my wife… I'd never want to hurt her for anything, but I always end up hurting her… how can you keep forgiving someone like that?"
Shannon jotted down a few more notes before she resumed her analysis.
"Ruby… I can tell you love your wife dearly… the sincerity in your remorse speaks volume loud and clear…" she said. "I'm also under the impression based on your recollections that your wife is a very patient, and understanding woman…"
"She totally is," said Ruby before she turned her head to face her therapist. "You know… she would make for a very good counsellor if she wanted to go into that field…"
"She very well could," giggled Shannon before resuming again. "Are you familiar with the proverb, 'to err is human, to forgive divine'?"
"I think so…" nodded Ruby.
"We're only human, Ruby. No matter how hard we try, we're not incapable of making mistakes… and mistakes we make are not without consequences, whether or not they are hurtful to those we love," said Shannon. "It takes a big person to face our mistakes and attempt to right our wrongs… but, it takes an even bigger person to forgive those who seek to makes things right; forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts one can give to another… based on what you've told me, in as much as I can see how much your wife means to you, it sounds like you also mean a lot to her if she is willing to forgive you for your shortcomings…"
Ruby squinted her eyes shut and turned her head away to conceal a few tears she felt line the bottoms of her eyes; she still felt unworthy of such forgiveness or understanding.
"Have you talked to your wife about what happened last night?" Shannon asked.
"I haven't even faced her," confessed Ruby with a sob. "She left the restaurant before I got there, and already went to bed when I came home… I slept in our guest room."
"Of your own volition?" Shannon asked.
"Yeah… I… figured she probably wouldn't want me disturbing her coming home late, so I gave her some space…" explained Ruby, and that was difficult for her; she much preferred sleeping with her wife snuggled in her arms, but that was not the case the night before.
"I would suggest you open those channels of communication," advised Shannon. "And as soon as possible… the longer you put it off, the worse it's going to be for both of you… if you hurt your wife, heal that hurt before it sets in."
Although the entire session was, for all intents and purposes, a glorified roleplaying session for Ruby and Shannon, Ruby felt that her wife's psycho-analytical counselling was actually more cathartic and beneficial than she even initially sought. In that moment, she arose into an upright position and made a decision…
"I think you're right, Doc…" she said as she removed her cell phone from a pocket in her skirt. "Would you mind if I touched base with her real quick?"
"Go right ahead," said Shannon as she arose from her seat, sat her notebook aside, and made for the door. "I'll give you a moment while I see to something else."
After Dr. Tannenbaum stepped out of her office, Ruby tapped a number from her contacts list and awaited an answer. Meanwhile, out in the waiting lobby, Tracey had little time to inquire of her employer's stepping out of her office before her desk phone rang.
"Thank you calling Royal Woods Family Counselling, this is Tracey for Dr. Shannon Tannenbaum, how may I help you?" The receptionist answer.
"Tracey, this is Ruby Tannenbaum," said the voice on the other end of the line. "Could you put me through to my wife, please?"
Tracey was terribly confused as she responded, "Are you not in her office right now?"
"Tracey, would you put me through to my wife, please?" Ruby requested again.
"Um, sure… one moment please…" said Tracey before she handed the receiver to her boss. "It's your wife; she wants to speak to you…"
"Thank you, Tracey," said Shannon before she spoke into the phone. "Ruby?"
"Hey, Shans…" greeted her wife. "I haven't interrupted you in the middle of anybody, have I?"
"I am treating a patient at the moment, but they needed a break, so your timing was impeccable," Shannon played along. "You must have an emergency to call me at work like this…"
"I just… I just have a lot to say… about… last night…" explained Ruby. "And… I really want to talk, the sooner the better…"
"Hold on for a minute…" Shannon covered the mouthpiece of the receiver before she turned to her receptionist again. "What's the rest of my morning looking like, Tracey?"
Tracey checked the appointment schedule on her computer and said, "Actually, it looks pretty wide open… your next appointment with Mr. Albert and Mr. Joseph isn't until two-thirty this afternoon. Would you like me to call and see if they want to come in earlier?"
"That's okay," said Shannon. "Actually, I think I'll take a long, early lunch… why don't you do the same?"
"Thanks, Dr. Tannenbaum, but I'm not hungry," dismissed Tracey.
"Tracey… go ahead and take a long, early break… I insist…" pressed Shannon.
Tracey had no idea what to make of any of this; was this all some sort of elaborate roleplaying her employer was participating in with her wife? Having been unlucky in the romance department herself, Tracey was clueless if these were the sorts of things lovers did – it even seemed a might unprofessional in her eyes. Still, she was being instructed by her boss to take a break, so rather than argue, she did as instructed; she grabbed her purse, cell phone, and car keys, and took her leave before Shannon resumed her phone conversation.
"Rubes?"
"Yeah?"
"The rest of the morning's wide open; why don't you pop over to my office and we can talk?"
"Really?"
"Really."
"Okay…" said Ruby in a sense of relief. "I'll be over soon."
"I'll be expecting you," said Shannon. "Love you."
"Oh, I love you, Shans… more than anything…" said Ruby before the two of them hung up.
With that, Shannon knocked on the door of her office again before she stepped in to find her patient had just gotten off of her phone.
"Were you able to get ahold of your wife?" She asked.
"Yes, she's willing to talk things out; I guess I better get over to her office while she has the time," said Ruby as she arose from the couch.
"Best not to beat around the bush," agreed Shannon. "I hope you were able to gain some perspective from our session today, Ruby."
"I think I have… thank you for taking the time to work me in, Dr. Tannenbaum," said Ruby. "What do I owe you?"
"I'll have Tracey run it through your insurance… and if not, I'm sure we can… work something out…" enticed Shannon with a wink.
"Hey… I'm a happily married woman, and a lawyer to boot," Ruby warned playfully.
"Best of luck to you, Ruby," said Shannon as she extended her hand. "I hope you can smooth out this little rough patch you have with your wife."
"I hope so, too," said Ruby as she shook Dr. Tannenbaum's hand and took her leave. "Thanks again."
I know this is full of plot holes, and much of the logistics make little sense, but the reason I rushed this out was because it had occurred to me that it was coming upon the anniversary of Albertson's Love Knows No Bounds – the pinnacle Sharuby Saga installment in which Shannon and Ruby finally tie the knot and marry… upon the realization, this idea literally just popped into my head as if by magic. Given that June 17th of last year was the date Albertson released the chapter with Shannon and Ruby's wedding ceremony, I wanted to get this out on June 17th of this year to make this outing more apropos… hence why this is such a rush job, and I spent little time working out the pertinent details as I ordinarily would. Otherwise, as Albertson recently noted, the Sharuby Saga is on indefinite hiatus: we both have been at this almost nonstop for three years, and have pretty much covered every major milestone in their relationship, from their first meeting in high school, to the adoption of their son, Henry.
So, how does Ruby plan to explain herself to Shannon without the roleplaying front? And will Shannon be as understanding and forgiving of a wife as she has been? You will just have to wait and see how this will play out. To be continued…