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when I'd hear from you,” Ella responded, her voice light.
    “ I'm at the hospital,” Rita said.
    “ And?” Ella asked anxiously.
    “ Caitlin had the twins at about two o'clock this morning,” Rita said softly.
    Rita heard Ella weeping softly and neither woman said anything for several long moments.
    “ Is everyone all right?” Ella whispered, and Rita felt sad for her. Life could be so unfair, and Rita felt like a thief, stealing a moment she knew her friend would never have.
    “ Everyone is fine,” Rita said, not entirely telling the truth.
    “ So, tell me about the twins,” Ella said, having regained her composure.
    “ The boy is Rogan William, and the girl is Hannah Margaret,” Rita said, certain her friend would make the connection.
    “ After his grandfather,” Ella said softly.
    “ Yes.”
    “ Margaret.........,” Ella said.
    “ Amazing, isn't it?” Rita asked sadly.
    “ It is,” Ella said. “Rita, I am so glad you called, and so happy for you. I'm going to pray for that girl, and hope she and Colin come to their senses. And now I have to go. I have another arrangement to work on, so I'd better get myself busy.”
    “ I'll be back in a couple of weeks,” Rita offered.
    “ We'll be fine. Take your time,” Ella replied.
    “ Thank you, Ella. It doesn't seem to be enough, but thank you.”
    The two women hung up and Rita lit another cigarette. She needed a moment to think, to take pause, and to let it all in. She hadn't told Ella the whole truth, that Caitlin wasn't doing well emotionally, but Rita had a feeling the other woman already knew. Still, Rita felt badly for not opening up more, for not being entirely truthful. There had been too many lies in her life. It was time for the truth.

 
     
    S ix
     
     
    Colin Thomas pulled into his reserved spot behind New York-Presbyterian Hospital and cut the engine to the Volvo. It was a beautiful autumn day, the kind he and Caitlin used to love, and as much as he'd grumbled, he'd enjoyed the steady jog he'd taken to retrieve the forgotten car. He'd stood by it, only for a moment, and gazed up at Lorry Andrew's window. The blinds were drawn, and he could picture her sleeping peacefully. She was a wonderful person, a friend he'd cherish always.
    He glanced at the hospital and checked his watch. He had forty-five minutes before his appointment. If he hurried, he'd have time to grab a coffee from the corner cart and take a stroll. As he walked he thought of Caitlin  He'd thought of her often in the nine months they'd been apart, but in the long hours since he'd sat with Lorry in the pub, he'd thought of little else. He wondered why she'd taken a leave, what she was doing, where she'd gone. Lorry had asked if she'd go away, and suddenly Colin wondered if she had. Had she run away?  Hadn't they both? 
    Standing alone in his condo an hour before, he'd chastised himself for being a fool, and as he walked along the city streets at his favorite time of the year, without his favorite girl, he realized he had been a fool. They both had been. They'd both been so afraid to open up, to take a chance, and so they'd walked away. The leaves crunched softly beneath his running shoes as he walked, and he was reminded of the many walks he'd taken with Caitlin the previous autumn. They'd been together for four years. Four winters, four springs, four summers, and four autumns. He'd have stayed with her for four lifetimes, given the choice, so why had he walked away? 
    After they parted, he'd immersed himself in his work, going into the office early, staying late, participating in every conference he could, taking every opportunity to speak at some far off location.
    Colin sidled up to the coffee cart and ordered the largest cup they had. He'd only slept a few hours, and although he'd felt ornery and exhausted when he woke that morning, he felt a clarity of thought he hadn't in a long time. Still, a long day lay ahead, and he needed the restorative quality of his