“Was it soemthing to do with grandpa?” Jenny chimed in. She caught herself and looked terrified. She didn’t bring up her grandfather with her mother. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t done. Here she was, now, embarking down a path with her mother a part of her to furious to think properly chimed out from her lips.

“As I’ve said, Bubeleh, we all do things we are not proud of,” her mother responded. Her duster froze in the air as she spoke. Jenny felt apprehensive but slowly remembered herself and picked herself up out of her chair. She walked up to her mother who was a touch shorter than she. She felt her mother’s hand tremble as she took the feather duster out of it and placed it on the table. She turned her mother and hug her gently for no reason but she felt that ths was the thing she had to do to continue with her mother’s plight and hoepfully to help her face it.

Her mother wrapped her arms around Jenny and cried soft silent tears into her shoulder. There for a moment, standing in the warm glow of the fire was mother a daughter wrapped in warm embrace feeling eachother’s sorrow.

Alice arrived back at her place late. She slumped down on her lounge and kicked off her shoes. She threw the nearly full pad of notes from her extensive interview with Robyn on the table. She felt funny. She knew she had no reason to but she had. He phone rang and she leaned over backwards to grab the phone sitting on the desk behind the lounge. “Hello,” she answered.

“Hello, Alice, it’s Helena. I thought we had had plans?” she asked sounding very drunk into the phone.

“Oh, hey. I got caught up with work, I’m sorry. Maybe some other time or something ok?” Alice asked. Helena hiccupped into the phone.

“Oh, ok. I just could of used some company tonight was all. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Helena hiccuped again. Alice chuckled.

“Helena, are you drunk?” Alice asked.

“Quite possaa…posssabibib….maybe,” she managed.

“Ok, I’ll be right over, just don’t go anywhere and please don’t go near you’re car,” Alice laughed and hung up the phone.

When Alice reached Helena’s place she found her gripping a Sherry glass and downing what was left of what appeared to be a very expensive cantor of brandy. Alice pried it out of her hand and sat her down onto the black leather sofa next to her.

“Whoa, you’ve been marinating in it, not drinking it. Why the tribute to alcohol all the sudden,” Alice joked. Helena flung her arm around and rested it around Alice’s shoulder.

“I felt like a drink,” she laughed.

“Ok, well I think you’ve had enough for now,” Alice responded. She took off Helena’s shoes and listened as her laughter turned into quiet sobs. Alice leaned forward and Helena tried to cover her face.

“Hey don’t. ***** Helena, what’s wrong?” Alice questioned.

“Mother’s dead,” Helena sobbed. Alice flung her arms around Helena and felt as a flood of tears washed over her shoulder.