“Christy brought Angie back from play-group, and then we sat around, talking around the kitchen island for a bit,” Kit was telling Bette, after the brunette finished talking to her daughter on the phone, and Angie had given the phone to Kit.  “She was telling us that the mom of one of Angie’s friends in playgroup passed away from breast cancer, finally, after battling it for almost ten years.  And the other mom of that boy – Jason, you remember? – anyway, she was apparently in a really depressed state.  Just bursts into tears throughout the day, and night."

"The other sad part of it is that their son sometimes still looks for that other mom who passed, and had asked about her at playgroup today, for example.  Anyway…Christy says you and Tina will have to think about what to say to Angie about the whole thing when you get back, because Jason and Angie are really close now.  They play together all the time, and seek each other out during play group.  Jason seems to be really drawn to her.”

“Well I think the funeral service for his mom will be held either tomorrow or the day after, so you won’t be able to make that.  But I think Christy’s right…you and Tina will have to handle talking to Angie about all this, ok?”

Christy had been Angie’s sitter almost from the start.  She was a student at Columbia, working towards a degree in child psychology, and had been a steady, invaluable companion to the baby, now a toddler, throughout the changes in Angie’s and Tina’s lives.  They all adored her: Angie, both her moms, Kit, and all their friends.  So even when Kit flew in to visit with or help Bette and Tina out with Angie, all the daily routines involving Christy remained un-changed, including playgroup.

After hearing what Bette had to say, Kit continued, “Shortly after Christy left, Angie, Shane, and I took a stroll around the Park.  Yes the weather was getting colder, but we made sure she was bundled up….Now don’t you worry about us keeping her warm enough, baby sis.  You just spent half an hour talking to her didn’t you?  Didn’t she sound fine to you?”

Kit nodded her head, rolling her eyes at Shane, who was smirking, “Yes…yes…I accept your apology.  I know, believe me I understand that you can get anxious about anything about Angie.  Don’t worry about her ok?  We’ve got everything under control.  You just concentrate on making Tina happy over there.  You and I know how much you have to make up to her, dragging her to some god-forsaken war zone instead of to a honeymoon, like she was expecting…I know…I know you’re trying.  Try harder.”