(JOE)

There's really no reason I can't go home. I'm definitely not sick enough to need someone here just in case. But the idea of facing an empty house just isn't my idea of a good time. And if I'm here I get to spend more time with Lily and Connor.

I could use the excuse that Katy is having a great time. As much as she enjoys having me, and Pam when she's around, to herself most of the time, she also loves getting to hang out with her brother and sister.

The three kids sped their way through dinner, cleaning their plates with out a single argument. I think that probably had more to do with the chocolate cake Morgan offered up for dessert if no one fussed about the main course, but either way everyone's been fed and had their dessert and now there's some free time before stories and bedtime.

I'd suggest a game of Candyland or something but that would exclude Katy and Bella, so instead we drag out the Legos and sit on the floor in the living room and start building. There are even enough of the bigger Legos hanging around to keep Katy and Bella interested, although so far, Bella seems more interested in trying to ingest the Duplos then build with them.

"Bella, no," I say firmly and reach over for the tenth time in the past two minutes to take a block out of her mouth. She automatically reaches for it, trying to pry it back out of my hand. "Nope, that tastes yucky," I assure her and she bats at my hand.

Then she starts telling me off, chattering away with a determined look on her face.

"Daddy, Bella's in the way, make her move,"" Connor asks.

"Daddy, she just knocked down my house. Can't she go somewhere else," comes Lily's request.

Finally I just reach over and grab the baby, settling her in my lap and handing her both a soother and a stuffed animal. "Better to gnaw on than the blocks," I tell her.

As Bella settles down in my lap, I can't help but think that I should have my own little one to hold. If I hadn't been so hell bent on self destruction last year, our baby would be about three months old. And my wife and I would be at home instead of her being half a world away with one of the least trustworthy men on the planet.

"Daddy, daddy, you help me," Katy insists, tugging at my hand. Oh oh, there might be a little streak of jealousy showing but that's easily fixed.

"Of course I help you," I assure her and take the block she's holding out. Doesn't take long for us to get a couple houses built and when we add them to the ones Lily and Connor have created, we have quite the little village.

"We need to build an airport now," Connor suggests."I think its bath time," Morgan's voice sounds from the doorway and we all turn to look at her.

Immediately there is a round of moans and "Mom do we have to?"

"Yes you have too .But you can leave the block city right there and finish it tomorrow." Morgan tells the kids, which brings the smiles right back to their faces.

"Daddy gonna give us our baths, okay?" Connor suggests.

"Sounds good to me." For the first time in a few days I think I'll actually be able to stay up longer than the kids. There's nothing like the flu to drain all your energy away, but I think I might finally be on the mend.

"Works for me. " Morgan shrugs. "I think I'll sit down and read something while you wrangle them into the tub."

I herd the kids upstairs and we make stops at the bedrooms to gather up jammies then its into the bathroom. Lily insists on wearing her swimsuit since there is a boy around. But eventually we get all clean, even behind the ears. Morgan joins me upstairs and we tuck the kids into bed. And I can't help feeling there is just something a little weird about that after all this time.

My ex wife and I are hanging around, acting like the perfect parents while her husband and my current wife are in the world's most romantic city, sightseeing and relaxing.If this was a movie or a book, no one would believe it could ever happen. Our lives are definitely stranger than fiction. But for some reason it works for us.

************

(MORGAN)

Lily's still on Cloud Nine after last night's performance. I'm beginning to think she loves the limelight and applause as much as her step father. She was up before anyone else this morning, eager to get back to school and her classmates. No doubt so they can talk about the play some more. She chatted non stop all the way from home and I have the feeling Connor, and Katy too, is going to deserve some extra attention tonight.

On the way back home Bella and I make a few stops and by the time we're making our way back into the house I've got an armload of bags. Joe's up and sitting at the table when we walk in, he's practically nose to nose with a steaming cup of coffee. Guess he figures all that steam will make it easier for him to breath.

"You know a hot shower would probably work better and be easier on your back." I tell him as I set the bags down on the counter. "Or you could take some of the cold and flu stuff I just bought." I add as I start searching through the bags.

"I'm fine." he says in scratchy voice.

Here we go again. I manage to refrain from rolling my eyes and remind myself he's sick. And when he's sick he's miserable. And when he's miserable....well that generally means everyone else in the vicinity gets miserable too. Such are the idiosyncrasies of Joe Ross.

"Suit yourself," I reply and set Bella on a kitchen chair so I can free her from her coat.

"Watch," comes Joe's warning. "You don't want her toppling off that chair."

"She won't," I assure him.

"Here, let me do that. You go put the stuff in the bags away." He stands up, reaching out for Bella.

"No thanks. I don't need her catching what ever it is you've got and passing it on to Lily and Connor. I've got it covered. Go lie back down and rest."

"I don't need anymore rest," he growls, then mutters almost under his breath. "Wasted half the day as it is."

Bella's coat goes on the back of the chair and I lift her back up, carrying her over to a rug in a sunny spot in the corner. If I'm in the kitchen for any length of time, she loves to hang out there playing where she can keep an eye on me. Right away she starts babbling, "Mamammamamamama," as she reaches for her stuffed tiger.

"You got it, sweetheart. Mama's right here."

"But your Daddy is off playing somewhere with another woman. " I spin around and glare at Joe. He gives me that innocent "What did I say?" look.

“Yeah, and the other woman's husband didn't put up any fuss when they announced they were going to Paris together. Missed your chance on that, Joe."

"Not much of a choice," he shoots back.

"Bull...." I catch myself just in the nick of time and take a deep breath when Bella's 'mamamama' starts to sound just a little worried. "It's okay, sweetheart." I give her a big smile and waggle my fingers at her. "It's okay." To Joe, I ask, "What are you so worried about? Don't trust her?"

"Pam isn't the one I don't trust," he replies with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh please, even if Chris was tempted, I doubt he'd resort to forcing himself on Pam. We have nothing to worry about."

But I can't quite look him in the eye, instead I glance over at Bella again. It wasn't all that long ago that I told Pam that her and Chris might have been a better match than Chris and I.
There's a niggling little question running through my mind and that's really the reason I can't quite meet Joe's steady gaze. Does that mean him and me are also the better match.

God forbid.
******

Ever woke up in the middle of the night because there's a strange voice whispering in your ear? Well I did!

I swear I hadn't been asleep more than when it happened and I just about jumped out of my skin. I know I shot up out of bed and in the process knocked the lamp off the night stand. But that wasn't all, I shoved my midnight visitor away and he fell backwards, landing on his butt a few feet away. I fumbled for the damn light and finally got it on only to discover Joe sitting in the middle of the rug.

I think I asked 'What the hell are you doing?' but he was looking so absolutely pathetic I decided not to rag on him too much and instead reached back to the nightstand and handed over the box of kleenex. Turns out all he wanted was some meds.

After fixing him up with some TheraFlu and rubbing him down with enough Vicks to make all of us breath better, I got him tucked back in bed and waited until he fell back to sleep. The whole while I was sitting with him I couldn't help but think back to when we were married and how our roles seem to have suddenly reversed.

All Joe ever wanted to do was take care of me, and I would never let him. But I don't seem to have any problem looking after him even now that we're no longer husband and wife. I made sure the blankets were tucked securely around him and went back upstairs thinking that now I finally am in a place where I wish someone was looking after me instead of the other was around.

Too bad that someone is in France. With another woman.

By morning Joe wasn't feeling any better so he called in sick to work and asked rather hoarsely if he could use the spare room a little longer. I'm not so mean that I'd kick a sick man out so he slept and I helped Lily run through her lines a few more times.

Joe made a rally just in time to go to the school to see the play. Lily probably thought she hit the jackpot with both Mom and Dad in the front row to watch her play a butterfly. The play was all about spring and there were flowers and butterflies and bees galore. But I have to confess Lily was the star of the show and I'm not the least bit biased!

Lily's butterfly wings looked something like this - the design for the wings was painted on nylon stretched over a frame to shape it. She wore a white bodysuit and tights so the wings were really the focus of the whole costume.

Bella and I picked Connor, Lily and Katy up after school and went back to the house. Joe was scheduled to pick Katy up just before dinner but the minute he showed up, I knew something was wrong. Maybe it was how pale he looked. Or maybe it was the way he kept blinking, as if the light hurt his eyes. Whatever the reason I decided to invite him to stay for dinner. Since we were only having soup and grilled cheese sandwiches it was easy to add two more plates and open another can of tomato soup.

I definitely knew he wasn't feeling well when he didn't argue. He just sat down and stared at his bowl. The kids took turns trying to convince him to eat. It was hilarious to see Connor kneeling on his chair, holding up a spoon and making airplane sounds to convince Daddy to take another mouthful of soup.

After he managed half a sandwich and half a bowl of soup, Connor dragged him off to watch the new Thomas the Tank video and when I went to check on them after loading the dishwasher, Joe was sound asleep on the couch. The girls had covered him up with a flowered blanket and tucked a stuffed bunny under his arm. I was tempted to take a photo but my conscience got the best of me. Not fair to take advantage of a sick man, I guess.

He was still sound asleep after I organized bath time so Katy was included with my three and bundled off to bed. When I went back downstairs Joe was just waking up and there was the inevitable argument about how he was completely fine and ready to go home.

He went as far as the spare room and crashed for the night. Somehow I don't think he'll be going to work in the morning, not with a fever and a sore throat.

Sigh....sometimes I feel like a nurse.

What if your husband announced he was taking another woman to Paris?

Bet you'd be surprised to know I was just a little relieved. I've known from the day we got back together that there were going to be times when Chris' obligations and appearances would conflict with moments in the childrens' lives. It hasn't always been easy, but we've managed to work around most of them. I guess I looked on this time as just another one of those instances to work around.

It would be different if the Paris appearances was on the books from the get go. I would have definitely gone with Chris. But appearing at a World Music Gala was a last minute invitation. Someone else canceled and Chris got asked. And Lily's been practicing for her school play for the past month. I didn't want to be the one to tell her that Mommy wasn't going to be there to see her.

Next thing I knew Chris had invited Pam, deciding the two of them could make a side trip and see Craig. He's going to be in Paris for the next few weeks and it actually was perfect timing. They are leaving on Thursday and they'll be back early Monday.

But why do I have the feeling I'm going to spend the whole time worrying, and wondering, and crossing my fingers even after I smiled and said 'Have fun, dear'?

This time of year usually makes me crazy. The days are short enough without us having to lose an hour because of Daylight Savings Time and the whole Fall Back, Spring Ahead ritual. I think a province in Canada has the right idea - Saskatchewan just stays the same time the whole year through.

But since we're currently living in Oklahoma and not Saskatchewan we moved all the clocks forward before bed last night. So when Lily bounced out of bed this morning at her usual bright and early time, the clock said 7 am, but I said too darn early. But there I was, eyes still at half mast, gamely making her and everyone else waffles. But Lily was nice, for once she didn't complain that my waffles aren't as good as her father's. Good thing.....otherwise she might have found herself deposited on her father's doorstep this morning.

I couldn't really get motivated to do much today but I did flip through my journal and was amazed at how many trips we've taken already this year. We might only be four months into 2006 but I've already been to Los Angeles three times, New York, and Utah each once. Another month and its off to Texas. That doesn't even take into consideration all the places Chris has been to so far this year.

No wonder I keep a half packed suitcase in the closet at all times.

When the phone rang just after seven both Chris and I woke up pretty fast. He grabbed it first, jamming it against his ear as he mumbled hello. I collapsed back onto my pillow, tossing an arm over my eyes. If its bad news I'm glad he's the one who'll hear it first.

But it wasn't bad news. Not really. In the big scheme of things it was good news. Great news in fact. Tristan called to announce his engagement!

Yes, I said ENGAGEMENT.

Chris isn't impressed. From the sound of things neither is Tristan's mother but she's trying very hard to be supportive and happy for the boy. All Chris is focused on is Chris' age. I want to point out that at nineteen, him and Hannah are both older than Chris and Candace were when they got pregnant with Tristan. But I don't think Chris would like to be reminded of that little fact right now.

Instead he'd rather focus on a couple of other facts. That Tristan and Hannah have known one another for all of seven months. That they are both in college and neither of them are making a living yet. That they are barely over eighteen.

There are a lot of comments I could make to Chris, to Candace...... But instead of getting in the middle of two protective parents who just want the best for their son, I make only one comment. Taking the phone from Chris I offer congratulations to the groom to be and his future bride. Guess we're going to a wedding.

Its just a matter of whether they get their wish and marry soon, or if Chris and Candace get their way and the kids have a very loooooong engagement.