“Kit, always a pleasure,” Ivan said, opening the door for her.

“Thanks,” Kit replied, entering the house and taking the seat Ivan motioned for her to sit in.

“So, I assumed you set up this meeting to discuss The Planet,” Ivan began, sitting at the table across from her.

“Yes,” Kit answered, then paused.  “No.”

“Which is it?” Ivan asked gently, sensing the turmoil within her.

“I just don’t know what to do, Ivan.  I’m too old for this!  I’m too old to have to start over,” Kit burst out, finally relieved to get it off her chest.  She hadn’t been able to tell Bette her thoughts, as her sister was too involved in her own problems.

Ivan stroked his chin thoughtfully.  “You’ve done it before.  What’s different now?”

Kit sighed and toyed absently with her necklace.  “I’m a little older now, and so much ***** has gone down.  I’ve dealt with enough tragedy these past couple of years to last two lifetimes.  I just don’t think I can do it anymore, Ivan.  Reopening The Planet is just going to add to my stress.”

Leaning forward, Ivan stared at her.  “So you’re thinking of not rebuilding?”

“I think so.  I’m just not sure,” Kit admitted, biting her lip and looking at Ivan expectantly.

Ivan laughed softly.  “Kit, I can’t tell you what to do.  Only you know what’s best for you.”

“I’m not asking you to tell me what to do,” Kit protested.  Then she frowned.  Okay, maybe she had sort of been hoping for that.  “But what if I don’t know what’s best for me?”

“It’ll come to you, Kit.  All in good time,” Ivan reassured her.

“I don’t have time,” Kit snapped.  “I need to figure this out now.  Everyone is expecting me to do this, but I’m not sure I want to go through all of this again right now.  But”

“But?” Ivan prompted.

Kit took a deep breath.  “But I feel like I have a responsibility to my friends to do it.  Like I owe it to them.  The Planet was more than just a caf, or a nightclub, or a restaurant.  It was a refuge from the outside world, a place for all of us to gather and just forget everything else and just talk.  About anything and everything.  It was the one place we could go when there was no place else left to go.  My God, The Planet was practically a way of life,” Kit realized, startled by her own recognition of the importance of The Planet in not just her life or in the life of her friends, but of the significance of the place to countless other people in the area.