After they settled in to visit, the two men began filling in the gaps of each other’s lives, until all the questions had been asked and answered.

“As soon as I’m finished gathering up the info I need on Johnny and Janie…I mean, Lovey’s, story, I’ll be going back to Springfield to finish the piece and turn it in to Nat Geo. At that point, I am officially off the clock. Please say you’ll all come to Kansas City to meet the family,” Marc said.

“We’ll all come to Kansas City to meet the family,” Lovey said, and when they laughed, Lovey frowned. “What?”

Before she could say anything more, her cell phone rang. She glanced up at the clock.

“Work is likely calling me back.” She got up and walked into the foyer to take the call.

The trio sat quietly, not wanting to talk over the conversation that took a sudden turn for the worse.

“What do you mean, it fell in the toilet?” Lovey shrieked.

Sully arched an eyebrow and looked at Melissa.

“No!” Lovey said. “If Chet dropped it in there, Chet can fish it out. Lord love a duck! I can’t walk out of the place for five minutes without shit hitting the fan! And yes, I know that’s a good pun because I meant to say that. If he can’t get to it, call the plumber. I’ll be there soon.”

She stuffed the phone back into her pocket with a frustrated jab and came back into the living room.

“Chet, the dishwasher, dropped the only key we have to the extra freezer right into the toilet. It remains to be seen why they ever gave him the key in the first place, and why he went to the bathroom with it instead of straight to the freezer where he was sent. They’re running out of hamburger patties, and the extra order is in that freezer. Sully, remember you saying you wanted to learn the job? Well, this is it. Are you sure you’re still up for it?”

Sully grinned. “I was a fireman. I have pulled cats out of trees. Puppies out of storm drains. Freed a thief who got stuck in a chimney, and delivered three babies. I got a man’s foot unstuck from a toilet bowl and have cut too many wedding rings off of swollen fingers to count, and the list goes on. Unless Chet already flushed the toilet, all I need is a coat hanger and a little luck.”

Marc stared. “I am in awe of the both of you.”

“Lord,” Lovey muttered. “Well, get your keys, Son, and let’s go.”

Sully followed as Marc took Lovey back to Granny’s.

It occurred to Marc as he drove how truly amazing Janie Chapman and her son had turned out to be with no help from him. He couldn’t wait to become a part of their lives.

Once they got to Granny’s and parked, Lovey took them in through the alley and straight into the kitchen. She frowned at Chet, who was frantically putting dishes into the washer.