“And you don’t have to leave your home or your memories,” Delores sighed.

“I hope I get to stay right where I am until they carry me out feetfirst,” Tootsie said. “But I’ve worried about you being all alone in that house; I’m glad you’re going to live near your daughter. Still, I know how tough it will be to leave it and all your memories behind.”

“The only way I can deal with it is to pack them up and take them with me. Then when I get to my new house, which is actually the guesthouse behind my daughter’s place and is right on the beach, I’ll unpack them first,” Delores said. “I just want you to promise that you’ll come visit me.”

“I promise,” Tootsie said. “And I’ve got room if you ever want to come to Sugar Run and stay a week or a month or as long as you can.”

“You can bet I will,” Delores told her. “The kids are here for two weeks, and in that time they plan to get the house on the market. I’ll be going home with my daughter.”

They talked awhile longer and then ended the call with promises that they would indeed visit each other. “Well, what do you think of that, Smokey? Aren’t you glad we bought our house in Sugar Run? I don’t have to go to some assisted-living care place when I can no longer take care of myself. The girls and Luke will be right there to help me out.”

He didn’t answer, so she took that as a sign that he agreed with her.

Diana awoke on Thanksgiving morning and was about to get out of bed when Carmen poked her head in the door. “You awake?”

“Just barely.” Diana yawned. “Are you bringing coffee?”

Carmen came on in and sat on the bed. “I’m worried, and I don’t want to discuss this at the Sunday-night therapy meetings we’ve been having. I know that you and Luke have reached some sort of agreement, because there’s no tension between y’all lately. And I’ve seen the way he flirts with you with little inside jokes sometimes. But he’s getting letters, and I think they’re from another woman. I don’t want you to go through the pain and hurt again that we’ve both had to endure.”

Diana pushed back the covers and got out of bed. She went to the armoire and got out a pair of jeans and one of her nicer shirts. “Do you remember the first time we got mail from the girls? Remember that Luke got nothing?”

“Of course. I felt sorry for him,” Carmen answered.

Diana removed her nightshirt and got dressed. “I wrote to him and snuck it out to the mailbox. After that, he hasn’t been left out at mail call. I’m the other woman who’s been sending letters to him ever since. He’s answered every one of them but sneaks them into my purse.”

“Well, hell’s bells!” Carmen fumed. “That’s why you carry your purse downstairs every morning and why he wants to go get the mail every afternoon. What in the devil do y’all write about?”

“Everything.” Diana stood in front of the vanity, brushed her hair, and pulled it up into a ponytail. “It’s amazing how much more you can learn about a person with letters. I should have told y’all what we were doing at one of our therapy sessions, but it sounds kind of juvenile. Kind of like kids passing notes at school.”

“But you’re going to tell it this week, right? Because if I’ve noticed it, you can bet Tootsie has, and we don’t want to worry her,” Carmen said.

“Of course I will,” Diana agreed. But I’m not telling y’all that I’ve been spending almost every night in the motor home with him. That’s just too damn personal to share, even with my best friends, and besides, I don’t want to jinx it before he even meets Rebecca.

“Well, I sure feel better.” Carmen stood and started out of the room. “Now let’s go get some breakfast. I hear Tootsie and Luke in the kitchen already.”

“Hey, where are you going?” Joanie almost ran smack into Carmen.

“To get dressed,” Carmen answered.

“Then wait a minute. I’ve got something to tell y’all. Brett called first thing this morning to tell me happy Thanksgiving, and guess what, we’ve got an offer on the house.” She clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you, Jesus! Things are working out so well that I know I made the right decision for sure now.”

“That’s great,” Diana said.

“I hope we don’t get fussy neighbors,” Carmen said.

“Well,” Joanie went on, “our agent said some guy called and said he wants to buy it sight unseen. We don’t even have to negotiate a deal. He bid the asking price. She’s getting all the papers ready, and we’ll close the deal when we get home. Brett is already looking at apartment websites in Arlington. He figures we’ll live in one for six months while we figure out the best place to buy.”

“Well, happy, happy Thanksgiving to you. That’s amazing news,” Carmen said. “Let’s tell Luke and Tootsie over breakfast.”

She and Joanie went on down to the kitchen to find Tootsie making her breakfast burritos. Luke was sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in one hand and Simba in the other. Nala and Sugar were both sleeping on his lap.

“Happy Thanksgiving, and happy birthday.” Diana wanted to stop and kiss him, but she just patted him on the shoulder and then sat down on the sofa beside him.

He set his coffee mug on the end table and handed Nala over to her. “They’re going to be lonesome when we separate them.”

“Yes, they are, but they’ll adjust real soon with all the love they’ll get.” Joanie took Sugar away from him and loved her for a moment, then gave her back and went to the kitchen. “Tootsie, what can I do to help?”

Diana stole a quick kiss while they were out of sight and whispered, “Joanie has news, but we’ll talk about it more tonight.”

Carmen took Sugar from him once she made it downstairs. “Come here to Mama, you pretty little darlin’ girl,” she said in a voice usually saved for talking to babies and cuddling kittens and puppies. “You know what I’m thankful for besides the final divorce papers arriving yesterday? I’m grateful that Diana and Luke brought you to me.”

Tootsie raised her voice. “Breakfast is ready. It’s on the table, so put down the kittens, wash your hands, and get on in here. I don’t make my famous breakfast burritos except on special occasions, and it’s best to eat them while they’re hot.”