Two months later.....

"Daddy?"

"Yes Pumpkin?"

"Did Nick call yet?"

"No. Not yet. Why?"

"I haven't talked to him since he left."

"What do you mean?" Bob interrogated, looking up from his paper. "Nick's phoned home plenty of times and talked to everyone."

"Nuh-uh," Lenore answered, shaking her head. "He hasn't talked to me Daddy."

The phone rang then.

"I'll get it!" B.J. yelled. "Hello?"

"Hey Beej," Nick replied. "Is Lenore there?"

"Uh...no. She went out with Mom," B.J. lied. "They won't be back until later. Much later."

"Oh, okay," he sighed. "I was just hoping to talk to her. I haven't talked to her in awhile and am getting kinda worried."

"She doesn't wanna talk to you anyway," B.J. added. "She's mad at you for something."

"What's she mad at me for?"

"Oh, I dunno. You know how easily she gets mad over the dumbest things at times."

"Well, guess I'll let you go then," Nick sighed again. "Talk to you later Beej."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

B.J. hung up, then strolled casually into the living room.

"Who was on the phone?" Bob queried.

"Oh, just Nick."

"NICK?"

"What did he want?" Bob wanted to know.

"If Mom was home. Told him she was out. He wanted to talk to her 'bout something."

"He didn't asked for anyone else?" Bob asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Nope."

Lenore's eyes teared up then, as her face puckered and her lip trembled. Soon she was crying softly.

Bob hugged her. "Shh. It's okay Pumpkin. He'll call for you soon, if he really hasn't talked to you for awhile. I know he will. I promise."

"Brian too?"

"Brian too, Honey," Bob answered, hugging her tighter. "Shh."