'' she said with a smile, ''Sure,'' I told her, ''Boys you can go.''We were both sat on the couch with mugs of coffee in hand, ''I want you to know th...t I'm serious about my offer Lauren.'' she said. ''I know,'' I replied, ''I just have to see what they're like when you're not here before I have an answer for you. I think Leo is really trying, whereas the others are going through the motions.'' I told her.''Yes,'' she puffed out a sigh, ''Leo is the diamond in the rough. I'm hoping that sibling. James was exhausted but he had been able to finish his business a day early. He caught a late flight. It was almost midnight by the time he got home. He was very tired, but was looking forward to seeing Ann. It had stopped raining but was cold and windy and James was looking forward to warming himself in Ann’s embrace. The house was quiet when he unlocked the door, and he could see a soft light from the bedroom. The lamp on the night stand was on, and James could see that Ann had fallen. But watch your step big man, we might trip you yet.” Turning back to Stanley, “Sweetie, For you, the first one’s free. But you got to go upstairs with me first.”Maybelle spoke up, “Whoa, hang on there bitch. We go by seniority around here. He wrinkles the sheets with me first.” Turning to Stanley, “How bout it Honey Child? You, Me? I’ll make the sunrise with a youngster like you?”While all of this had been going on, Joshua was reading his messages. At the end, he had a big smile. “Stanley, this. I already had to deal with Sofia’s impending arrival in six months, not to mention Karin’s visit in less than a month. I remembered, though, that if things had gone as I’d once planned, Kara would have become my fiancée and would have been living with me.The problem with that thought was it would have meant the end of things with Jennifer, and I was singularly glad Jennifer and I seemed to have found a way forward. I needed to discuss this with someone and was glad that Anala would be with me.