Chapter 56 — Four Girls

_April 19, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

{psc} "Hi!" Krissy, who was wearing a dark blue skirt and light blue blouse, exclaimed when I walked into the lobby of the State Street dorm.

"Hi! Do you have a preference for dinner?"

"Connie's? I want deep dish at least once before I go home!"

"Then Connie's it is. I don't have my car because I took a cab, so I didn't have to pay to park for five minutes."

We left the building, I hailed a cab and directed the driver to Connie's on 26th Street. Ten minutes later, Krissy and I walked in and asked for a table. There was a twenty-minute wait, but we could put our pizza order in immediately, which would mean less time waiting after we were seated.

"Where in Oregon are you from?" I asked.

"Ontario," Krissy replied. "It's on the border with Idaho. It's about fifty miles from Boise and about four hundred from Portland."

"How big is it?"

"About 9,000. Where are you from?"

"Goshen, Ohio. It's about twenty-five miles northeast of Cincinnati. The town's population is under a thousand; the township has about the same as your hometown."

"How did you end up in Chicago?"

"During Senior year, I felt I had to get away from Goshen, so I called my uncle who lives in Chicago, and asked him to help me get an entry-level job here. He called a friend of his who offered me a job as a mailroom clerk. I worked my way up to mailroom supervisor, earned my securities license, was promoted to analyst, started running my own investment fund, and was promoted to manage the newly created Research Department."

"You're what? Twenty-seven or twenty-eight?"

"Twenty-one."

"Whoa! All that in three years?"

"A bit less, but yes."

"That's really impressive! You wouldn't happen to be looking for a girlfriend, would you?"

I had to commend both Stefi and Tara for not saying anything about Keiko, as I didn't want that to be the first thing someone knew about me.

"Well, at least you didn't jump right to a marriage proposal!" I chuckled.

Krissy laughed, "Good looking, dressed to the nines, successful, and friendly. What more could a girl ask for?"

"A reasonable point," I said with a smile. "My life is a bit complicated at the moment, not to mention you're going home for three months. Let's see how tonight goes, and if you want a second date, you can call me when you get back in August."

"OK!"

"What's your area of focus?"

"Photography. My goal is to be a photojournalist."

"That sounds like it could be a fun job."

I think so. I started with one of those Kodak Instamatic cameras when I was six, and I received an SLR as a birthday present when I turned thirteen. I was the photographer for our school newspaper and actually sold one photo to the local newspaper. I won a few competitions, too."

"That's impressive. Do you have siblings?"

"An older brother and a younger sister, about two years apart both ways. You?"

"Only kid."

"Do you work out? You look like it."

"Three times a week, mainly to stay in shape, not to get ripped."

"Did you play sports in High School?"

"No. I worked after school, so I really didn't have time. Did you?"

"Sure! Lead scorer on the basketball team!"

"You must have one heck of a jump shot!"

Krissy laughed, "Somehow, I don't think a five-foot girl who weighs a hundred pounds is going to be a basketball star!"

"No, but there are other sports?"

"Soccer? Volleyball? Softball? Those were the three main sports for girls besides basketball. Well, and track, but all those girls had really long legs. You're about six-two, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you a sports fan?"

"Baseball, hockey, and football. You?"

"College football. I used to watch with my dad and my brother. We didn't have a Major League baseball team anywhere close until the Mariners in '77, and Seattle is about 450 miles from Ontario. Cubs or Sox?"

"Reds," I replied. "But I prefer National League ball, so I prefer going to Wrigley over Comiskey."

"Cats or dogs?"

"We didn't have pets, but I was around dogs and cats, and I'm not in either camp. You?"

"I have a cat back home. I never liked dogs."

{_ "Table for Kane!" _}

"That's us," I said.

We were seated, and the waitress brought our salads and Cokes.

"How did you learn everything to advance so quickly?" Krissy asked as we started eating.

"The company has study guides, and I took a couple of specialized classes. Most of what I do is analysis, which basically means studying something, analyzing it, and writing a report. The company uses those reports to decide what securities, futures contracts, options, bonds, or whatever to buy or sell."

"You don't need a college degree to do that?"

"No, but I am working on a degree in business part-time."

"Where do you live? An apartment in the city?"

"No. I own a house in Rogers Park, but as of tomorrow, I'm moving into a condo in the Loop."

"Wait! You're twenty-one, and you own a house AND a condo?"

"Yes."

"Holy Moly! If you don't have a girlfriend, I'm applying!"

"One step at a time!" I said with a smile. "As I said, let's see how the evening goes, and in August, when you come back, I'll take you on a second date if you want."

"I want!"

"Was there something specific you wanted to do tonight? Maybe see a movie?"

"Is it possible to see your condo? Or not until tomorrow?"

"We can do that."

Our pizza arrived, and the waiter put one of the thick slices on each of our plates. Connie's pan pizza was so thick it had to be cut into bite-size pieces with a large serrated knife and eaten with a fork.

"I can't believe this pizza," Krissy said. "Back home, it's totally thin."

"Same for me. I never knew about Chicago-style pizza until I came here. Connie's is really good, but I like Giordano's better. There are other things I never had before I came here — Chicago-style hot dogs, Carson's Ribs, Portillo's Italian Beef, Maxwell Street Polish, and Ricobene's breaded steak with marinara sauce."

"I mostly eat in the dorm dining hall because I have to watch my money. I worked Summers starting after my Sophomore year, so I'd have spending money, and I'll work when I go home."

"What do you do?"

"Waitress at a restaurant my dad's best friend runs. What jobs did you have in High School?"

"I worked for a feed store, a lumber yard, and a landscaping company at various times, usually two jobs."

"What did your parents do?"

"My dad died before I was born, and my mom worked secretarial or office jobs. She's a secretary at the High School now."

"Before you were born?"

"Yes, after Mom got pregnant, he died in a plane crash. What do your parents do?"

"Dad works for the County as a health inspector. Mom is a secretary for a CPA."

"What about your older brother?"

"He joined the Navy when he graduated. He's an electrician on a nuclear submarine."

"The military was one thing I considered, but I'm a pacifist, so I didn't think that was a good idea."

"You wouldn't fight to defend the country?"

"If the country was invaded, I'd fight to protect people I care about. But going to Grenada or Lebanon? No. Did I just uncheck a box?"

"No, I'm not pro-military, and I want everyone to get along. That said, somebody has to defend the country."

"I agree."

"Are you a Republican or Democrat?"

"Democrat, but I voted for Reagan. You?"

"Republican. Did I just uncheck a box?"

"Given what I do for a living? No chance. "Everyone I work with is Republican. I'm the token Democrat. And a Democrat friend of mine basically read me off the other day for what I do for a living."

"What's wrong with investing and making money?"

"Nothing. I tried to point that out, but…never mind. It's a long, boring story that would have to delve into politics with which I don't agree."

"I tend to avoid politics because reporters have to be unbiased and objective, or at least that's how they need to present themselves."

"In my job, I have to present myself as a hardcore conservative capitalist. To do otherwise would lose business. Of course, I _am_ a capitalist, but I'm not evil, selfish, or greedy. I'm a straight shooter and prefer blunt, direct conversations, but I know I have to temper that a bit with prospective clients."

"Blunt and direct?"

"I speak my mind, usually without any varnish or embroidery. I respond well to people who are direct and can be annoyed with people who beat around the bush. My job requires me to be logical and analytical, and that's pretty much my personality."

"Most people don't like blunt, direct talk."

I smiled, "I'm not most people. I get along best with people who do, but I also know how to schmooze when I need to."

"What you said before about clients, right?"

"Yes, or people I come in contact with in the course of life — clerks at stores, waiters and waitresses, cabbies, and so on."

"That's called being polite!" Krissy declared.

"Yes, of course, but my point was that despite preferring blunt, direct talk, I know when it's not appropriate."

"Do you have fun? Or is it all just logic like Mr. Spock?"

"I do have fun, and I can be a real goofball in the right circumstances — basically with people I'm close to."

We finished our meal, though there were three slices of pizza left, which I had the waiter put in a box. I paid the check, left a healthy tip, and we left the restaurant. I hailed a cab, and we got in.

"175 East Delaware Place," I told the cabbie.

"Yes, sir!" he said as he pulled the flag to start the meter.

"Where's that?" Krissy asked.

"The Hancock Center. That's where our offices are and where my condo is."

"By Water Tower Place, right?"

"Yes."

Nine minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the building, and the doorman came out to open the door. I paid the cabbie, then Krissy and I got out.

"Mr. Kane, isn't it?" the doorman asked.

"It is. I have to ask…"

"When they took the photo for your ID card, they sent it down to the desk."

"I hope you don't mind if I just give you an envelope on the first of the month each month," I said, advice Jeri had given me.

"Not at all, Mr. Kane. Not at all."

"Thank you, Robert," I said, reading his name tag.

He held the door for us, and we went inside. We took the express elevator up to the sky lobby, then switched to the local elevator that served the 91st floor. When we exited the elevator, I led Krissy to the door, unlocked it, and let her in.

"WOW!" she gasped. "That view!"

"It is awe-inspiring. Let me show you around."

It seemed best to avoid talking about Keiko or Sofía until August, as it would only complicate things. I knew there was a risk of springing that on her later, but I wanted to at least get through the first date. That meant skipping the Japanese room, as it would be difficult to explain without telling the whole story, as well as the nursery.

"This is just unreal!" Krissy declared. "You're not pulling my leg about this being yours."

"I'm not."

I led her upstairs and showed her the master bedroom and the art gallery, noting that the other bedrooms were similar.

"Who is going to live here with you?"

"Three friends, to start with," I replied.

"I'll move in with you!" she declared.

"Just like that?"

"In addition to the stuff I said before, you're obviously very successful. A girl would be an idiot not to want to be your girlfriend."

She was moving awfully fast, and while I was interested in her, I had to take a measured approach. My expectation had been that the date would follow the ones I'd had with Stefi and Tara, not rush headlong into a potential relationship. That meant I basically had to come clean now rather than lead her on for the entire summer.

"Remember how I said my life was complicated? Let's open a bottle of wine, and I'll explain."

"OK," Krissy replied hesitantly.

"White, red, or white zinfandel?" I asked.

"Zinfandel, please."

I went to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of Sutter Home White Zinfandel. I used a corkscrew to open the bottle and poured some into two wine glasses I took from a rack that Natasha had installed under one of the cabinets. I carried both glasses to the 'conversation pit' formed by the sectional sofa arranged in a U shape, and Krissy and I sat down.

"First, this date did not go the way I expected it to…"

"You expected to get laid?" Krissy asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I didn't _expect_ it, but based on my assessment of what was said by you, Stefi, and Tara, I felt it was _possible_, or perhaps even probable."

"I suppose that's reasonable. I don't believe in putting out on the first date. Or the second one, for that matter."

"A perfectly reasonable position. I will point out that a few minutes ago, you offered to move in with me!"

"It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind!" Krissy declared. "Wait, I just wrecked it, didn't I?"

"You mean because I'm a straight shooter, and you just implied inconsistency or fickleness?"

"Yes. I'm not, but it seemed like the right thing to say."

"And there is nothing wrong with changing your mind about something when presented with new information. There's a reason — actually multiple reasons — why I suggested waiting until August, and we'll get to those. But first, what I meant when I said it didn't go the way I expected I meant what amounted to an invitation to be a couple inside of the first fifteen minutes.

"Initially, I took that as a flip comment, though with potential underlying seriousness. Then you repeated it twice and offered to move in with me. I considered that you were serious about it, and it didn't feel right to wait to have this conversation in August because I didn't want you to go away with a potentially wrong picture of me and my situation. I'll explain, and it's probably best if you just listen, OK?"

"Sure. You're not, like, dying or something?"

"No, but…well, let me tell you the story. About sixteen months ago, I met a girl named Keiko. We hit it off almost immediately, and in fairly short order, I knew she was the one. Things progressed quickly because she felt the same way, and it was obvious to both of us where we were headed, despite my intention of not making a commitment like that at age twenty.

"Things were going really well until one day, she said she was feeling really tired, and after several doctor visits, she was diagnosed with leukemia on May 13th of last year. We immediately sought treatment, and she began chemotherapy. Despite that, we married in a civil ceremony in mid-August, then had a Shinto ceremony in early October. After two rounds of chemo, the doctors concluded that only a bone marrow transplant could save her, but we couldn't find a matching donor, and she died on December 27th."

"I, uhm, don't even know what to say," Krissy said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. Anyway, that's not the only complication. About two and a half years ago, I met Bianca, who became a close friend. She's bisexual, though she has a strong preference for girls. She asked me, at one point, if I'd help her have a baby, and I had agreed, but I met Keiko, and that messed up the timeline and plans.

"I'll skip to the end — when Keiko found out she had to have a bone marrow transplant to have a chance to live, she also found out that in nearly every case, that treatment renders the woman unable to conceive because of the high doses of radiation involved. We agreed we'd adopt, but she knew I wanted a biological child, so the three of us — Bianca, Keiko, and me — agreed that Bianca and I could try to have a baby before Keiko and I married. My daughter Sofía was born ten days ago."

"I'm at a loss for words."

"I understand. I come with quite a bit of baggage, and none of it was particularly relevant if this were a situation similar to Stefi and Tara, so I wasn't going to say anything. Things didn't go that way, and you made the first 'girlfriend' comment. As I said, the first one I could easily let go, but I suggested a conversation in August so all the emotional stuff didn't affect our date.

"Then you made the comment twice more, along with the offer to move in, and it was obvious to me that you did want a second date, which meant I had to decide to tell you now or in August. I felt it was wrong to, in effect, mislead you and have you come back in August expecting to begin a relationship and have me dump all of this on you then. I hope you understand why I'm not ready to make any kind of commitment at this point."

"I do," Krissy said. "And…heck, I'm not even sure what to say right now. I guess I have to ask how interested you are."

"Interested enough to want a second date," I replied.

"I suppose that's the only realistic answer you could give."

"Are you still interested in a second date?"

"I am, though I'm sure you'll understand a bit of trepidation about how complicated your life is compared to mine, which is pretty simple. I do need to say something because you might have the wrong impression."

"About?"

"I think I might have sounded like I was only interested in you because of your obvious wealth. I realize now I shouldn't have said it that way. All the other stuff I said was true, and this," she swept her arm, "is icing on the cake."

"I didn't get that idea," I said. "I mean, yes, that could have been true, but I felt you were reacting out of amazement, and trust me, I'm amazed myself. Twenty bucks was a lot of money for my mom and me when I was growing up, and now…well, I'm not profligate, but I can spend $20 without thinking about it the way I would have."

"So, now that the cat's out of the bag, so to speak, who all will live here with you?"

"Bianca and Sofía, obviously. It would have included Bianca's girlfriend, but they broke up because the girlfriend couldn't handle being around a baby full-time at age twenty. My other two housemates are two students at the School of the Art Institute — Deanna Haight and CeCi Forsythe.

"I'm Deanna's patron, and I'm helping her open her own gallery, Ateljé D. Each of them has her own room, and one of the extra rooms is going to be the nursery. Currently, my friends Jack and Kristy, who are married, are living with us at the house, and they're going to rent the house from me."

"Three girls? That's one better than Jack Tripper!"

I chuckled, "I never watched the show, but I know the premise. I don't have to pretend to be gay to fool my landlord because I'm my own landlord! Jokes aside, there are some significant challenges to a relationship with me."

"Including you being over a foot taller!"

"Keiko was only about two inches taller than you are," I replied. "She once asked if it bothered me to be a foot taller, and in response, I asked if it bothered her to be a foot shorter. Most of the girls I've dated since coming to Chicago have been shorter than me."

"You're about six-two, so no surprise there!"

"I meant significantly shorter! But I have dated a couple of girls who were around six foot. Anyway, I don't see that as a blocking factor. You're cute, and you did say that good things come in small packages. Honestly, I believe the best course of action is the one I originally suggested – you go home, and when you come back in August, we go on a second date."

"An interesting strategy when you have a girl who's interested in you alone in your condo."

"I drew the conclusion from everything you said that your belief is that it requires at least two dates before you'll consider it. After that, there are other factors, I'm sure. I don't find that viewpoint troubling in the least."

"Most guys would have taken what I just said as an invitation to try."

"And you may well have meant it that way, but I'm analyzing everything you've said and drawing appropriate conclusions. That's what I do for a living, and it's my usual way of thinking outside of work as well. If my analysis is wrong, tell me, and I'll reëvaluate."

"So, if I asked to spend the night, you'd accept?"

"That's couched as a hypothetical, and hypothetically speaking, I'd consider it."

"You are really exact in your thinking and speech!" Krissy declared.

"A function of what I need to do at work, but I suspect I'm good at work because it's who I am."

"Do you _want_ me to spend the night?"

"I know you want a one-word answer, but it's not that simple because I can't commit to anything except a second date in August."

"You're still grieving," Krissy observed.

"Yes. It's not as bad as it was, but I'm still trying to sort out my feelings. OK to say something very direct that might sound offensive but isn't?"

"That does seem to be your approach, so go ahead."

"If you had followed the pattern of your friends, I wouldn't have thought twice about saying 'yes'. Once you put a relationship on the table, I had to consider a deeper meaning than just a one-night stand or a short-term fling."

"You make a weird amount of sense."

"Bianca and other friends call it 'Jonathanland', where logical analysis rules the day for things most people don't give a lot of thought or simply go with their first impression. That approach to life is something you should consider before getting involved with me. One thing that approach can't do is read your mind, and given you hinted at some flexibility in your thinking, I'll leave the decision to you. Well, it's always up to you, but I mean, I'll go with your decision."

"You are really concerned with being precise in your speech."

"I once told someone there were four girls who could wreck a relationship — Miss Communication, Miss Information, Miss Interpretation, and Miss Understanding."

Krissy laughed, "That's awesome!"

"Did you want some more wine?"

"Yes, please."

I got up, got the bottle from the fridge, and poured a second glass for each of us.

"I think your analysis is pretty good," Krissy said after taking a sip of wine. "Waiting only delays the potential for three months, and given I won't be here, you don't think I should change my default thinking. There is zero to lose by waiting but there is some amount of risk to me in not waiting."

"That nicely sums it up, so I think your path forward is clear."

"Go home, talk to you on the phone a few times, come back in August, go on a date, and see where things lead."

"Yes."

"Then that's what I'll do."

We finished our wine, and I rinsed out the glasses, then escorted her to the lobby, where Robert hailed a cab for her to take her to her dorm. Once she was safely away, I made my way to the parking garage to retrieve my car, then headed home.

Once again, my timing was impeccable, and Sofía had just finished eating, so I held her until she fell asleep, and I carried her up to Bianca's room, where I put her in the bassinet. I went to my room to complete my bedtime ritual, then returned to get into bed with Bianca.

"Deanna pointed out we need to finish the painting before she's completely set up in her new gallery and studio. She suggested we come back here on Sunday evening for a few hours."

"That works for me," I said. "My mom and Mitchell will leave around 2:00pm, so they're home before 10:00pm Ohio time."

"OK. How was your date?"

"We had dinner, then went to the condo."

"Your first new girl in the condo!"

"Actually, we drank wine, talked, and then I sent her back to the dorm in a cab."

"Interesting. Why?"

"Over the course of dinner at Connie's, she mentioned several times that she was interested in a relationship. She's going home to Oregon for the Summer, so I suggested we have a second date in August, saying that things were complicated at the moment. At one point, she asked where I lived, and I mentioned moving to the condo. She asked to see it, so we went there.

"She was blown away by the view and offered to spend the night if she could be my girlfriend. I once again suggested August, but because of the way the conversation went, I felt I had to tell her about Keiko and Sofía, who neither Stefi nor Tara had mentioned. As we talked, Krissy revealed that she felt at least two dates were necessary before she'd even consider sex.

"I made the point that she'd offered, and that led to further discussion. In the end, the agreement is that we'll go out in August and see how things go. Needless to say, the complications of my life gave her pause, but not enough pause to change her mind about being interested in a relationship."

"I didn't expect that!" Bianca declared.

"Me, either, but you know where I am, and I didn't reveal my thinking on long-term exclusive relationships except to say I wasn't ready for one. Krissy attributed that to me grieving for Keiko, and I'd say that's absolutely true, but it's more than just grieving."

"If Sofía didn't scare her off, I'd say she's really interested! What's she studying?"

"Photography. She wants to be a photojournalist."

"A job that might involve a lot of travel, so maybe a flexible relationship works for her."

"Who knows? I kicked the can down the road because I can't make any decisions like that now, and probably not for some time. We should get some sleep because our little princess is going to need attention in a few hours, and you're getting up with me so you can be at the condo when the nanny arrives."

We snuggled close, and I quickly fell asleep.

_April 20, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

On Friday morning, we were up a bit early, so Jack and I could disassemble the crib and load it into my trunk along with the rest of my clothes and my toiletries. I also packed the intercom units in a box and put it in the trunk. Lastly, I got Keiko's urn, put it in a box I'd wrapped with silver wrapping paper, then put it in the passenger seat of Bianca's car.

I loaded the last of Bianca's things in the trunk of her car, then the three of us ate breakfast, and Bianca nursed Sofía. When we finished, the three of us headed for the condo, with Jack driving my car and me driving Bianca's car with her and Sofía in the back seat.

At the condo, we carried everything in, making three trips, and when we returned with the third load, the nanny had arrived.

"Jonathan, this is Chelsea Drake," Bianca said. "Chelsea, Jonathan Kane, Sofía's dad."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kane."

"Jonathan, please! You're a few years older than I am! It's nice to meet you as well. I need to set up the intercoms, and Jack and I need to put the crib together.."

I grabbed the box of intercoms, and Jack and I went upstairs. We quickly assembled the crib, and I put the unit we had configured in 'baby monitor' mode in the nursery. I turned it on, then put the other units in my bedroom, taking the time to change into my suit, as I hadn't wanted to wear it while carrying boxes and the crib. Once I'd changed, I put the third unit in Bianca's bedroom and the fourth unit downstairs on the breakfast bar.

"Now that Chelsea will be with us, my grandmother is going to start coming in the afternoons," Bianca said. "She'll make dinner for us Monday through Friday. If we're out on Fridays, she'll make something we can eat on Saturday."

"Sounds good. I need to get to the office. The new phone should be transferred today, but according to Illinois Bell, sorry, Ameritech, they don't need to get into the condo. The two-line phone is in the kitchen, and my line rings in my bedroom. There are also two portable phones on the shelf behind the heating unit near the sectional sofas, one for each line."

"Cool."

"Call if you need anything. I'm just three elevator rides away!"

Jack and I left, taking the local elevator down to the sky lobby.

"That nanny is smoking hot!" he exclaimed once we were in the express elevator to the ground floor lobby.

"Not the reason we hired her," I chuckled. "She's worked as a nanny for five years, and in High School babysat every weekday afternoon for a family from her church. She had excellent references."

"What are her hours?"

"6:00am to 2:00pm, Monday to Friday. An older lady starts at 2:00pm and works until 6:00pm Monday through Thursday and until midnight on Fridays. That gives us flexibility, and we don't have to worry about finding a Friday night babysitter so we can go out."

"That can't be cheap."

"It's not, but with both Bianca and me contributing, it's not a stretch. You and Kristy can move into the master bedroom at any point. All my stuff is out of there except the IBM PC, which we'll move tomorrow."

"We'll do that tomorrow after we move the furniture from the Japanese room, the air cleaners, and the rest of Deanna's and CeCi's things."

"Deanna will leave a few things because she won't have her occupancy permit for her new studio until next week. She, Bianca, Sofía, and I will be at the house on Sunday afternoon so Deanna can complete the portrait of Sofía, Bianca, and me."

"No sweat! We don't need the attic for anything at the moment. The house is huge for two of us."

"And I appreciate you accommodating the parties."

"It's your house!"

"Yes, but you're renting, and I don't want to take advantage. It'll just be the two I told you about.

We walked through to the business side of the lobby, where I got onto an elevator, and Jack continued out of the building so he could take the L to the CBOT. As usual, when I arrived on 29, I stopped in to see Rich, then went to the Research Department. I made a pot of coffee, then began my day.

I broke my usual routine, going to the condo with Violet to have lunch with Bianca and Sofía, then going to the gym. The afternoon was routine, with the exception of my mom calling to let me know that she and Mitchell were leaving for Chicago. I let Violet know, then went back to work. At the end of the day, Violet accompanied me to the condo to have dinner with Bianca, Sofía, CeCi, Deanna, and me.

"Jonathan, this is Jessica Rivers; Jessica, Jonathan Kane, Sofía's dad."

"Nice to meet you, Jonathan," she said. "Your daughter is an angel!"

"Not at 2:00am," I chuckled. "But thank you. Nice to meet you as well. Bianca, I'm going to change."

I went up to my room, changed out of my suit into sweatpants and a rugby shirt, then went back downstairs, where I greeted «Abuela», who was making something that smelled out of this world, and I was sure would taste as good.

"Can I see upstairs now that it's furnished?" Violet asked.

"Sure."

We went upstairs, and I showed her the nursery, the art gallery room, and then the master bedroom.

"How dark can you make it in here with two walls that are almost full windows?"

"The electric blinds have two layers; one is light colored with an open weave and diffuses the outside light; the other layer is blackout, so no light gets in. As high up as we are, the light-colored layer is sufficient at night and actually allows a fuzzy view of the city lights."

"The bed is huge!"

"It's king-size. Yours in your house is full-size. My old bed was queen-size."

We left the bedroom and went downstairs, and I was just about to sit down in the conversation pit when the intercom buzzer sounded. I went to the kitchen and lifted the handset.

"Mr. Kane? Robert in the lobby. Miss Mazarov is here. May I send her up?"

"Yes, please."

"Very good, sir."

I replaced the handset and waited for three minutes while Natasha came up to the condo. I opened the door for her and she greeted me with what Deanna and Jeri ad both called a 'society kiss' where our cheeks touched.

"The place looks fantastic!" I said.

"Thanks!"

"Deanna said your professor is going to be here on Sunday."

"Yes, at 3:00pm, along with the photographer, Kent. Dee gave me the signed releases."

"Come on in and meet the others; dinner is in about fifteen minutes."

I introduced Natasha to the people she hadn't met, and at 6:00pm, Jessica left, and «Abuela» brought a large pot to the dining room table.

"This is Carne Guisada," «Abuela» said. "A Tex-Mex beef stew. There is also rice, and I made fresh tortillas."

"«¡Muchas gracias!»", I said, using about 20% of the Spanish words I knew in one go.

"¡De nada!»" «Abuela» replied, and I could surmise what that meant.

We all sat down, including «Abuela», and Deanna poured red wine for all of us, and we began eating. The stew was fantastic, and the fresh, warm tortillas were the best I'd ever had. When we finished dinner, I attempted to help with the dishes, but «Abuela» shooed me away.

"I should go," Violet said. "I don't want your mom to have to wait."

"Let's go downstairs, and I'll have Robert hail a cab for you."

Five minutes later, she gave me a quick hug and kiss and got into the cab. I gave the cabbie enough for the fare and a tip, then Robert closed the door. The cab pulled away, and I headed back upstairs. «Abuela» finished the dishes, and after ensuring Bianca didn't need anything, she left.

Sofía woke up not long after, and after Bianca nursed her, I held her before putting her in her crib to sleep. We had a nice evening together, talking, listening to music, and enjoying the view of the city. Sofía woke again around 9:30pm, and Bianca went to get her. As was our usual pattern, after Sofía nursed, I held her until she fell asleep, then I carried her up to Bianca's room and put her in her bassinet.

"I don't expect you in bed tonight," Bianca said. "CeCi usually gets Fridays."

"True."

We hugged and I went back downstairs and was met by Natasha at the base of the stairs.

"So, about my completion bonus…" she said with an inviting smile.

"Let me speak to Deanna and CeCi," I said.

"No need! I cleared it with Dee, who cleared it with CeCi!"

"Then come upstairs, and we'll negotiate!"

I took her hand and led her back up the stairs to my room.