flight home the next morning. She was staying downstairs in Kitty's old room. Originally maid's quarters, the Singhs had converted it into a mini suite when Kitty's health started failing and she came to live with them. Marlene, always hopeful that her mother would improve, had not changed one thing in the room since her mother's stroke. Emma's parents were staying in the guest room upstairs. Marlene's boys were bunking together so that Kelly could have one of their rooms.
Hearing a light knock at the door, Emma looked up to see Bob Singh standing at the threshold. He was of average height and built thick. Gray ran through his hair like silver threads through black silk. He had a dark, open face and gave her a warm smile. They had all gone to college together at UCLA-she and Marlene and Bob and Grant. Marlene and Bob started dating their sophomore year, while she and Grant met their junior year. The couples had been close at school and in the early years of their marriages. But Bob and Marlene were still together. Seeing their stability reminded Emma of her own failed marriage, no matter how happy she was for them.
"I have a proposal for you, Emma."
"Sorry, Bob, but I'm really not second-wife material."
After a short laugh, Bob came in and settled himself in a small rocking chair near a reading lamp.
"Kind of chilly in here, Emma. Want me to adjust the vents?"
"Thanks, but it's okay. Getting so I like it a bit cool. Maybe I'm having early hot flashes."
Bob gave her a grin. "I have a combination request and invitation for you."
"I'm all ears."
"You and Marlene have both been through a lot lately. I think it would be good for you to get away. How does a week or two sound? Just the two of you. No kids, husbands, parents, worries, or cares. Decide where, and my office will take care of everything. Shopping in Paris. Shows in London. Sunning in Tahiti. Just name it."
Emma sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand over the lilacprint duvet. "That's quite a generous offer, Bob, but I don't know. Why don't the two of you take some time together instead?"
"We will, but I think it's important for you and Marlene to get away. With your divorce and Kitty's passing, I think you would benefit more from each other's company than anyone else's right now.
"But Kelly's graduating soon, and my parents are going away and expecting me to look after the house and Archie."
"I'm not talking immediately. More like later this summer, or maybe after school starts in the fall and the kids are off doing their own thing. Whenever it's convenient. You ladies can go somewhere and get wild and crazy. You know." Bob made a feeble attempt to do the whisker salute. "Meow."
Bob's attempt at a kitty meow came out sounding more like a Chihuahua with indigestion. Emma burst out laughing.
"I'll definitely think about it and talk it over with Marlene."
"Great" Bob got up and started for the door.
"And Bob?"
When Bob Singh turned back around, Emma groomed her whiskers and showed him her claws.
"Meow back at ya, big guy."
Following a quiet family dinner, Marlene's boys, both teenagers, had taken Kelly out to a movie. All the adults turned in early, including Emma, who retreated to her room to sit in the comfy rocking chair and read. An hour later, she wished she'd taken Bob up on his offer to adjust the air conditioning in her room. It was getting cold. She wasn't sleepy yet, so she got up to grab a sweater from her bag. When she turned back to the rocking chair, she let out a small screech, barely catching herself before it turned into a scream and woke the household.
Sitting in the rocking chair, the very chair she'd just vacated, was her aunt Kitty-or at least a misty image of Kitty.
Emma shook her head, quick and jerky like a dog shaking saliva from its jaws. She looked again at the rocking chair and once again saw a faint image of Kitty. The image was transparent and sat in the chair just as Emma had seen her aunt do so often. The figure wore
Hearing a light knock at the door, Emma looked up to see Bob Singh standing at the threshold. He was of average height and built thick. Gray ran through his hair like silver threads through black silk. He had a dark, open face and gave her a warm smile. They had all gone to college together at UCLA-she and Marlene and Bob and Grant. Marlene and Bob started dating their sophomore year, while she and Grant met their junior year. The couples had been close at school and in the early years of their marriages. But Bob and Marlene were still together. Seeing their stability reminded Emma of her own failed marriage, no matter how happy she was for them.
"I have a proposal for you, Emma."
"Sorry, Bob, but I'm really not second-wife material."
After a short laugh, Bob came in and settled himself in a small rocking chair near a reading lamp.
"Kind of chilly in here, Emma. Want me to adjust the vents?"
"Thanks, but it's okay. Getting so I like it a bit cool. Maybe I'm having early hot flashes."
Bob gave her a grin. "I have a combination request and invitation for you."
"I'm all ears."
"You and Marlene have both been through a lot lately. I think it would be good for you to get away. How does a week or two sound? Just the two of you. No kids, husbands, parents, worries, or cares. Decide where, and my office will take care of everything. Shopping in Paris. Shows in London. Sunning in Tahiti. Just name it."
Emma sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand over the lilacprint duvet. "That's quite a generous offer, Bob, but I don't know. Why don't the two of you take some time together instead?"
"We will, but I think it's important for you and Marlene to get away. With your divorce and Kitty's passing, I think you would benefit more from each other's company than anyone else's right now.
"But Kelly's graduating soon, and my parents are going away and expecting me to look after the house and Archie."
"I'm not talking immediately. More like later this summer, or maybe after school starts in the fall and the kids are off doing their own thing. Whenever it's convenient. You ladies can go somewhere and get wild and crazy. You know." Bob made a feeble attempt to do the whisker salute. "Meow."
Bob's attempt at a kitty meow came out sounding more like a Chihuahua with indigestion. Emma burst out laughing.
"I'll definitely think about it and talk it over with Marlene."
"Great" Bob got up and started for the door.
"And Bob?"
When Bob Singh turned back around, Emma groomed her whiskers and showed him her claws.
"Meow back at ya, big guy."
Following a quiet family dinner, Marlene's boys, both teenagers, had taken Kelly out to a movie. All the adults turned in early, including Emma, who retreated to her room to sit in the comfy rocking chair and read. An hour later, she wished she'd taken Bob up on his offer to adjust the air conditioning in her room. It was getting cold. She wasn't sleepy yet, so she got up to grab a sweater from her bag. When she turned back to the rocking chair, she let out a small screech, barely catching herself before it turned into a scream and woke the household.
Sitting in the rocking chair, the very chair she'd just vacated, was her aunt Kitty-or at least a misty image of Kitty.
Emma shook her head, quick and jerky like a dog shaking saliva from its jaws. She looked again at the rocking chair and once again saw a faint image of Kitty. The image was transparent and sat in the chair just as Emma had seen her aunt do so often. The figure wore
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