I got pregnant. Had to... oh, you know..." She took another stiff drink of rum.Laura nodded. "That's really too bad." Let's not talk about that," Dee ...ee said abruptly, sniffing, brushing away whatever wetness might have been there in her eyes with her wrist.Laura, who had only drank about a third of her drink, which had been about half the size of Dee Dee's in the first place, noticed that Dee Dee was nearly finished with hers. Dee Dee was getting a little twinkly and giddy, now that she had. She closedthe door behind her."So.....?" she asked with eyebrows raised. "How's it going?"I looked her in the eyes, pleadingly."I don't know what to say, Helen. I really didn't think you liked medressing but today you've pushed me further than I've ever pushedmyself. I've been in more humiliating situations than I ever would havethought possible. Why are you doing this to me? And why now?"Helen thought for a minute. A smile came to her face, more kindly thanvindictive."Look Richard. It's. I would take my time with my hair and makeup - I wantedto be as pretty and girly as possible. I would serve him his coffee andhis eggs just the way he liked them.I never asked him about his night - nor about when he got home, the lastthing I ever wanted to be was one of those nagging wives. Instead, Iwould talk about how sunny it was today, and tell him about that funnychipmunk running around the yard or ask him if if he liked my pretty newdress. I bought it just for you, didn't you notice? I. " Yep, I know that, but you plowed under a lot of your crop to build thathouse in the middle of nowhere. I don't think you'll have enough to paythe loan and still be able to plant next year. We need to talk, andsoon. I'll stop by. Give my regards to Angie."Well, that was a bummer, I thought. Jack Doggert, my neighbor, hadoverheard the conversation. He was a nice enough guy, but a nosy oldcuss."That Hank Jones is an asshole. Better watch out for him, Gary, thosetwenty-somethings are always.