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department that represented Jack. Upon hearing her story, the lawyer’s attitude had not been any better than Jack’s demeanor had been that day on the phone. Thinking back on it always saddened her because, at least, Jack had not heard the entire situation before hating on her. The lawyer, even after being enlightened that the existence of a child was not the only issue, continued his rudeness to the very close of the conversation.
    “Hey!” Olivia sat up with a welcoming smile and raised her voice over the t.v. volume for Tristan’s benefit, “Guess who’s home!”
    “Momma!” Tristan scrambled for his crutches.
    Shoving the thick envelope back to the mail pile, she crouched, sprinting at the same time to swing him up, and twirl him around. “Gotcha!” It was a race every evening to see if she could reach him before he situated his crutches enough to walk. Sometimes, he beat her, but either way, they both ended up on the couch in a tickling match.
    Olivia cleared his meal mess from the sofa table and returned from the kitchen with a rag to wipe it down.
    Shortly after Tristan’s first birthday, he began exhibiting problems walking. When tests concluded a medical diagnosis, several long-term plans changed, including childcare. Olivia valiantly moved to a different work shift since Marissa couldn’t afford a one on one caregiver, and her son needed special attention that would be difficult in a group of children.
    With one last kiss, she let Tristan get back to his show, and with an appreciative sniff, she inquired of Olivia, “What smells so good? Did you cook?”
    Busting with laughter, Olivia denied the ridiculous, and Marissa found the Chinese delivery spread across the stovetop.
    “Made my bonus this month.” While handing over a clean plate, her friend shrugged off the slight cost that was never in Marissa’s tight budget.
    Olivia could say what she wanted to say, but Marissa knew her friend’s income had always been subsidized by her parents, both during and after college, and up until her marriage to a successful stockbroker who now did the subsidizing.
    Marissa’s own family was not so well off. Briefly, she had gone to college on a scholarship that she lost due to a lacking grade point average during the third semester. That part of her past held too much partying and too little studying, something she regretted now as she seemed stuck in a poverty level income job.
    “And,” with a flourish, her friend opened the freezer and extracted the blender jar, “I made margaritas.”
    “Why does everyone think I need a drink tonight?” Marissa wondered aloud. Olivia questioned this random speculation, and as she watched her glass fill to the rim with the slushy lime drink, she filled her bartender in on the latest Clayton gossip of this afternoon.
    “You knew what you were getting into!” Simpering, Olivia poured herself a drink as well. “I just hope he was worth it.” As usual, her friend never missed an opportunity to try and pry any dirty details.
    Nothing had changed over the years. Olivia was still far too controlling of Marissa’s love life. Yet, everything had changed. Olivia had grown out of her wild ways, and Marissa had grown into them.
    Once a month or so, Olivia would keep Tristan overnight, and Marissa would meet a date somewhere. Date in this definition was liberal. She went out to hook up, and did so on a holy grail search for that special chemistry found with only one man ever– Tristan’s father.
    Never had she told anyone the identity of her child’s father. Not even Olivia.
    After much pestering over many months, just before Tristan was born, Marissa had finally appeased her inquisitive friend with a half-truth, implying a hook up with a guy who could not commit to a family. Once, when the subject came up, she had even let Olivia guess and believe that the one night stand mystery guy was married.
    Tonight, regarding Clayton, Marissa caved at last. “He really wasn’t