“There!” Kelly let the bird jump onto the girl’s hand. The child’s smile was worth it all. The pretty little bird nuzzled his head against the girl’s cheek.

“Thank you,” the mother said, and they left.

Kelly washed her hands and cleaned up the room. Not long now, she thought. In just six more weeks she and Adam would be married and moving into his house and the apartment in Kansas City. They’d decided to keep that place their secret, just as his parents had. Robbie knew about it but he had no interest. He was leaving for college soon and he was looking forward to it. His romance with Lisa was still going strong and they were vowing to get married soon. Adam was trying to get his little brother to wait until he graduated, but no one believed they’d hold out that long.

After that first weekend Kelly and Adam had spent together, she’d been sick with worry about how everyone, especially her mother, was going to take the news.

She didn’t have to worry. The day after they’d been discovered together, Vera and Miguel sat down with Nella, Forey and Rafe, and told them the truth. Later, Nella and Forey told Kelly the story in such detail it was almost as though she’d been there.

First of all, Vera said she and Miguel had been in love since they were children. “What about Adam?” Nella asked her daughter.

“I love him, too.”

Nella’s eyes had widened.

“No!” Vera said. “Not like that. Adam and I...” She waved her hand. Vera wasn’t a person who felt a need to confess her innermost feelings. “Let’s just say that I choose Miguel and leave it at that.”

“The wedding?” Forey had hope in her voice.

“No wedding,” Vera said. “Sorry.”

“You’re still going away?” Nella asked.

“Yes. To Africa, Afghanistan, wherever the world leads us.” Vera stood up. “Now that that’s settled, I need to go to work.”

“But what about Adam?” Nella asked. “Have you told him that you’re leaving him?” She sounded close to tears.

For the first time, Vera looked a bit guilty. “He knows about Miguel and me, but no, he and I haven’t talked about things yet.”

Through all of this, Miguel didn’t say a word. He just sat there with his head hanging low and Rafe’s eyes seemed to burn into his scalp.

“I tell you,” Nella told Kelly later, “it’s a wonder that boy’s hair didn’t catch on fire.”

“Because of Gabby,” Kelly said.

“Right. Poor Gabrielle,” Forey said. “Miguel led her on. He let her believe they were going to get married. He even hinted that he was buying her an engagement ring. And there he was, in love with Vera. That poor girl. She’s thinking of going back to her parents in Mexico.”