Bette:  I know she will be.  This is just the hard part for me and for Tina. It’s the coming to grips that she is no longer a child but a young woman.  It’s hard to let go of our baby and let her spread her wings and fly.

Tina:  We are doing okay in that area.  Not great, but okay. This car is a step in that direction.

Bette:  Thank god, we are not the ones who are going to teach her to drive.  Did you know that Mary has taught her to drive a stick shift?

Tina:  Really?  She’s been driving Mary’s old truck?

Kit:  She hasn’t been driving on the road in traffic, has she?

Bette:  I think she has been driving on Mary’s ranch and maybe some of the roads in the dessert but not in town or in traffic. I wonder if Mary would let me drive that truck?  I think getting behind the wheel of a stick shift again would be fun.

Tina laughed:  Well, if she lets you, I want to drive it too. It’s been decades since I drove a stick shift. Do you think that I’ll remember how?

Kit:  Just like riding a bike. Once you know, you never forget.

The three ordered dinner and continued their conversation and enjoyed their time together.  They talked about the future and what the next phase of their life held in store. Once the Planet was sold, Kit would be officially retired. Once the Hit Club was sold, they could plan on when Sonny could retire. Of course, none knew what this upcoming distribution from the Estate of Melvin Potter would do to impact their plans. But the fact that their lives were about to enter a new phase with new priorities and opportunities was exciting and they were looking forward to it.

Bette and Tina arrived home right at 8:00 pm. Both Angie and Daniel were really happy to see them. They were anxious to talk about their activities for the day including how they had ordered pizza for lunch and some chicken parmesan for dinner with a salad. They had gone for a run on the beach in the morning and swam in the pool in the afternoon.  Both had work on the laundry and Angie had done some studying of her driver’s test while Daniel played video games. It was the first time in a couple of weeks where they had actually spent time with each other exclusively.  Angie knew that this may be one of the last opportunities she would ever have this time with her brother alone. She loved Daniel in a way that is not often seen in siblings.  From the time he came into the household, she felt he belonged to her. He was her baby that her moms took care of.  He was her pain in the ass brother who was always hanging around when her friends came over. He was the one who asked for advice when he wanted something special from his moms. He was her partner in crime when they wanted to pull a prank on their moms. And in a few weeks, she would no longer be a member of the household. Sharing this day was special for both of them. There would not be many more like them.