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said. "Right, Dad? We're going to see a lot of countries."
    "Whoa. We need your mother's approval before we can say for sure."
    "I'd looked forward to having him home." Her mouth was dry and her words could barely be heard.
    "I'll still have three weeks here when we get back before I start school." Joey's eyes pleaded with her. "We'll bring you something. Right, Dad?"
    "Sure. Whatever she wants." Joseph's gaze met hers and she could tell he felt her pain. He touched her arm. "I'm sorry. I know I should have talked to you first. But he's at the right age for this and when I picked him up today, I got so excited that I couldn't wait. It's a great opportunity that fell in my lap through the company."
    "When do you leave?" Erin asked, folding her arms to her waist. The early June day suddenly seemed cool.
    "Day after tomorrow. I'm scheduled to make the trip one way or the other so I didn't have a choice. I miss our son too, you know."
    "Can I go, Mom? Please."
    For old time's sake, Erin knelt to hug him. "I wouldn't want you to miss it, Joey…Joe." Tears wet her eyelashes but she blinked them away. "We're going to have to take you shopping."
    "Thanks." He kissed her on the cheek and she dared to kiss him back.
    Grab on while you can, Erin .
     
    * * *
     
    Erin felt bereft. Everyone was leaving her. She had sent Mitch packing and now she and Joseph had actually packed Joey's…Joe's…bags. Would she ever get used to calling him that?
    "If he needs anything else, I'll get it for him while we're travelling," Joseph said, zipping their son's new luggage. Joe had taken more interest than usual in shopping. As a rule, he hated it. He hadn't even complained about trying on clothes.
    They'd spent half a day buying him things. It had been the first time she and Joseph had done anything together since their divorce, but with their boy along, it hadn't seemed awkward. Joseph was particular about clothing and had always gone shopping with her for Joey's.
    This afternoon while they worked on getting him ready, their boy had wandered off to park himself in front of the large screen TV in the den, and Erin and Joseph had experienced a few awkward pauses when left alone together.
    "Are you seeing anyone?" he suddenly asked her.
    "I was, but we broke up," she replied, hating the finality of those words. "That will make it harder having Joey…Joe…gone."
    "I'm sorry, but if it makes you feel any better, you did the right thing for him, letting him take this trip. It will be an education in itself, Erin ."
    "I know." She suddenly remembered she still didn't know if he played baseball. There hadn't been time to ask him. Not that it mattered as much, with Mitch out of her life. Tired, she sat on Joey's bed beside his suitcase.
    "Are you dating?" she asked.
    "Occasionally, but no one special." He settled beside her and laid his hand over hers. "You're the only woman who's ever been special, and I rushed in here and put you through a lot of grief getting Joe ready to travel. Let me make it up to you, Erin , by taking you and Joe to dinner. You look worn out."
    "That's certainly flattering," she said, stretching her neck to see her reflection in the mirror over Joey's dresser. She did have dark circles under her eyes.
    "You always liked dressing up. It will make you feel better. Where would you like to go? Name it and I'll take you."
    She was wearing khakis and a plaid shirt, and dinner at a nice restaurant with her husband and son as if they were a real family again sounded appealing. She didn't want to go anywhere they'd been together before.
    But it wouldn't bother her to go where she'd gone with Mitch. And that would give her a chance to see Derek again, and she needed that chance.
     

Chapter Four
     
    "Blue and yellow are fine. Don't worry so much." Derek was talking to his fiancée on his cell phone when a couple walked in with their son. It must be the Fox family that had reservations for three people, so he had to sign off. "Whatever