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Charlie was busy preparing a light summer salad from the vegetables in Adam's garden, seasoning it with fresh basil and peppering it with the crostini, (Italian style croutons), she had made a little earlier. Herb seasoned, stuffed grilled peppers and small slices of quesadillas rounded off the main meal. Next, she filled multicolored party bowls with blended fruit cocktail made of all the different kinds of fresh fruit Bill could lay his hands on at the supermarket, and mixed it with vanilla ice cream. Charlie set these into the freezer to chill until it was time to take them out for dessert.

She made extra servings of the dinner for Melvin, Bill, Kevin, Chuck, and Vera, though they were not going to eat with the two couples. It was an odd arrangement, brought on by the necessity of the situation. For tonight, the foursome pretended as though the rest of the world didn't extend past their small dinner party.

"Okay, it's time to eat," announced Charlie, carrying the dinner to the coffee table in the living room.

Waking up, Vera went into the kitchen and served the non-guests, who were listening to the small gathering in the next room.

"I wish my wife and I could get along as well as that," sighed Bill, taking a peek at them through the kitchen door.

"Haven't you two gotten back together, yet?" asked Melvin, helping himself to another stuffed pepper.

"No," said Bill, returning to the kitchen table. "She says I'm married to my work."

"You didn't have to come today, you know," reminded Melvin. "What you needed to do, you could have done from home."

"I know, but it was an excuse to get out of that empty house," said Bill, for he and his wife of seven years were currently separated.

In the living room, a happier conversation was taking place.

"Oh! Come on!" laughed Charlie. "It wasn't that bad!"

"No, really!" insisted Adam, with a playful twinkle in his eye. "The driver pulled up to my passenger window and begged me to take the wheel from you! He even called you a 'woman driver'!"

"I haven't had a SINGLE ticket!" replied Charlie. "I can call upon Jeff as a witness. Have I ever had a ticket?" she asked him.

"No, you haven't," Jeff admitted, but, added with a laughing smile, "a few warnings, maybe!"

"You better watch out," warned Charlie, smiling, "you were the one who taught me to drive, in the first place!"

"Yes, and I talked him into it," joined in Maggie.

"I'm so glad you did!" exclaimed Charlie, thankfully. "Uncle Jerome had a fit when I dented his car on that dumpster!"

"Where was this?" asked Adam, who had never heard this story, before now.

"In a parking lot," Charlie answered, careful not to offer any more details than she needed to.

"Were you trying to avoid another car?" asked Adam, curiously.

"Not exactly," replied Charlie, a little sheepishly. "The parking lot was empty."

With this, everyone began to laugh. Soon, dessert was taken from the freezer, and everyone settled into talking about the future.

"I don't think we're going to be able to live here in Twin Yucca," began Adam, eating his fruit cocktail with the blended ice cream and orange juice.

Charlie glanced at Maggie in time to see her face fall.

"You're leaving?" she asked, with a quiver in her voice.

"It looks like we might have to," said Charlie.

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