He turned the element off and pushed the pan to the back of the stove to cool.He followed me out to the dining table and happily loaded his plate. We ...te in companionable silence. When we finished he loaded up the dishes and took them to the kitchen. He unloaded the dishwasher from the night before and happily reloaded it.I put the jug back on for fresh tea and cleaned up otherwise. It was novel, having a bloke helping me in the kitchen. Neither my dad nor Brad had ever offered. I guessed being. "Yes, it's me," I replied."Well, I'm glad you're home early," she said from the doorway of thedarkened bedroom where I could hear my new father softly snoring. "Wehave to be at church early tomorrow. Your father and I are greeting. Areyou planning on going to Sunday School?" Uh...I don't think so." Then you can just ride to services with your father and me," shedecided.Church? Well, why not? I hadn't gone much in college, but my family hadbeen fairly strong Methodists. I hoped I hadn't become. They had a life and she only had her bad self. There was tensions in her friendships once she divorced her ex. Where her and her ex were a couple before, now she was the odd women on the outside looking in. She was the third wheel left out of the conversations once they endlessly talked about their children, their homes, their schools, their clothes, and pediatrician visits. Obviously afraid she’d steal their husbands, her girlfriends were always jealous of her. Good riddance is perhaps how. .. I needed that." Anytime, anywhere, my love," John replied, giving her a soft kiss on her lips.Alice inhaled his scent, somehow it always had a soothing effect on her and after letting out a deep breath, she finally relaxed again."It's just that ... It's so hard, to keep our relationship a secret to the rest of the world. I'm still worried about your mother too. Are you sure she doesn't suspect anything?" Yeah, I'm sure of it. If she does then she isn't letting on to it." And you make sure.