Episode 669: Locked Out Of Heaven

"She seems to be surviving just fine." His wife, Michael, pointed to their little girl, Hope plopped down on her backside on the lawn, blowing bubbles through a tiny pink wand, seemingly amazed every time they appeared and disappeared.

"Well, it’s no fun for an adult," he complained. "We’ve made our appearance, let’s go for a drive, or-"

"Since when do you want to pass on networking? Most years you’re the one who’s been enthusiastic about this garden party."

That was back when he’d enjoyed the thrill of pursuing the married hostess. He’d been a great deal more careless with his marriage back then.

"Hey," his wife said," isn’t that Lucy?"

Precisely the thing Curran most wanted to be careful about. "I don’t think it’s her."

"Yes, it is."

"What would two minutes hurt?" Paul asked.

"It might hurt a lot. You know that. Please, let’s just-"

"Lucy! It’s so great to see you!" Michael Gable enthused. She cuddled a bubble-blowing Hope in her arms. Curran Gable trailed slightly behind them, his expression tight. "Hope, sweetie, this is-"

"It’s really nice to see all of you, too," Lucy said in a hurry. "But I really have somewhere else I need to be." Her fingertips barely brushed one of Hope’s pigtails before Lucy turned away and took off.

"Well, that’s too, bad." Michael looked genuinely disappointed. "Have fun the rest of the party, Paul."

He opened his mouth to ask if maybe he could visit Hope without Lucy, but he knew how strange that would seem, and he knew the daggers shooting from Curran Gable’s eyes would become real. So he let them go. And he cursed Lucy even though he knew it was his fault. If he’d stepped up to begin with, he’d see Hope all the time, his parents wouldn’t have approached him just then, asking after the cute little girl. If he’d stepped up, they’d know her, he’d know her.

Episode 670: The A Team