Abby Lockhart Kovac dropped down onto the park bench where her friend, Susan Lewis was waiting. She stamped her feet free of the slushy wet leaves that clung to them. She hated early spring and everything that came with it. Slush. Cold, wet weather and mud. Lots of mud.

"Do you want to tell me why we're doing this again?" she gasped and took a drink from the open water bottle Susan offered her.

"We're getting in shape," Susan said enthusiastically. "Working all those long dormant muscles!" Abby eyed her suspiciously as she handed the bottle back.

"Yours may have been dormant but mine haven't been," she said ruefully. "I have been lugging around an eighteen pound baby for the last eleven months." Susan looked at her in surprise.

"Eighteen?" she said. "I could have sworn he was at least twenty." Abby shrugged. Susan sighed and then stood up on the sidewalk. She started jogging in place.

"Come on," she urged. "Let's go one more time around the park and then we'll walk home." She tugged on the edge of her sweatshirt and looked down at Abby expectantly.

"Aw gee, Mom," Abby groaned reluctantly. "Do I have to?" Susan laughed and tugged at her friend's arm. Abby dragged herself up and started jogging in place with Susan as she mumbled something.

"What did you say?" Susan asked as she tugged an ipod ear bud from her ear.

"I said….it's total crap what 'new love' does to your friends," Abby groused. Susan laughed and then they set off on the jogging path through the park.

Scott Porter was sitting on the front steps of the duplex when the two friends rounded the end of the sidewalk and headed up toward the house. The chocolate brown lab that was sitting between his knees on the step stood up and wagged his tail.

"Hi!" Susan called. Scott waved as he released the dog's leash and Fudge bounded down the sidewalk toward her. Susan's smile was wide as she caught the leash and reined the dog to her side, patting his neck and scratching his ears.

"Good morning, Abby," Scott said as she climbed the steps next to him. "You're looking good."

"Yeah yeah…." she said without looking at him. "You owe me a pizza this time. Double cheese with bacon and dried Roma tomatoes, please."

"Just add it to my tab," he laughed as she opened her front door. She snapped her fingers as she went inside and he laughed again.

"Good morning," Susan said as she leaned down to kiss him. "What are you doing here so early?" She sat next to him on the step and pulled the dog's leash so he was sitting on the step in front of them.

"I got a call from one of my residents and I am on my way in to the hospital," he said. Susan reached over to rub a smudge of something off his cheek.

"I just dropped the girls off for their cecchetti classes," he said. "Do you think you can pick them up for me and bring them here? When I'm finished we can all go out for an early dinner."

"Oooh…that sounds great," she said as she leaned in for another kiss. "No cooking!" Scott grinned as he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Do you remember where the studio is?" he asked as he nuzzled her ear.

"I think so," she rolled her eyes. "I've picked them up once before. You told them I would be there, right?"

"They're looking forward to it," he said. "I left some jeans and shirts for them inside." He kissed her again.

"Ummm…love you," she said as he drew away and pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"I love you too." He stood up and waved as he got into his car and pulled away. Susan waved as the car left and patted the dog again.

"Come on, Fudgie," she sighed. "Let's hit the showers." The dog bounded up the steps and followed her into the duplex.

It wasn't that far to the dance studio but she anticipated having trouble finding a parking spot so they left a little early. She found a chair in the waiting area and Cosmo plopped onto the floor in front of her with his Game Boy. The room began to fill with students and parents for the next session and Susan looked around her with interest. The little ones were going in next. Tiny little girls in pink and black dance tights with ribbons and bows in their ponytails were slipping their feet into tiny little ballet slippers. Cosmo tucked his feet under him and looked up at her in dismay as someone got a little too close to his face with a flouncy tutu. Susan laughed and ruffled his hair. The classroom door opened and Casey was the first one through it.

"Susan!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around her in a hug.

"Hi, sweetheart," Susan hugged her back. "How was your class?" Casey looked around her and then scowled furtively as she shook her head. The woman laughed and opened the bag Casey had dropped into her lap. She pulled out a long red sweater jacket and a pair of tennis shoes. Casey dropped onto the carpeted floor next to Cosmo and watched his game while she removed her ballet shoes and slipped her feet into the sneakers. She didn't even look up as she handed her worn dance shoes to Susan. The pink leather was rubbed clean at the toes and Susan tucked one inside of the other. A stream of older girls came through the door and Susan looked up watching for Molly as she slipped Casey's shoes into her bag. The girls were dressed alike in black leotards and tights. Most of them were wearing knit leg warmers as well. Everyone had their hair pulled into tight knots at the back of their heads. Susan smiled when she finally saw Molly. She had her arm around another girl and they were chatting away. Molly's brown eyes lit up when she saw Susan and she waved.

"Hey, kiddo!" Susan said as Molly made her way around the chairs and people toward her still holding her friend by the hand.

"This is my friend, Chelsea," Molly said as she pulled the other girl forward. "This is Susan. She's my dad's girlfriend."

"Hi, Chelsea," Susan said. "Its very nice to meet you." My dad's girlfriend. Susan loved the way Molly said it with such ease now.

"Hi…" Chelsea said shyly. She looked around and then nodded at her own waiting mother.

"I have to go," she said with a smile. "I'll call you later, Molly."

"Okay," Molly grinned and watched her walk away and then sat next to Susan when the chair was free. She was smiling as she slipped her shoes off and put them in the bag that held her street shoes.

"You must have had a great class today," Susan said as she studied her face. "Three hours of dance and you're smiling. Aren't you tired?"

"No," Molly sighed as she drew her sweater out of her bag. "I love it." Susan chuckled and wrapped an arm around the girl.

"I know you do," she said as she hugged her. She picked up her hand.

"Come on," she said. "Your dad brought some clothes for you over to my house."

"I don't know why we don't just leave some of our clothes at your house all the time," Casey said as pulled the braid free from the bun on the top of her head and stood up.

"What?" Susan exclaimed as she pushed open the nearby door and went out on the street. "And make more laundry for me to do?" Casey giggled.

"You don't do the laundry. Susie does," she said. Susan gasped.

"And who told you that?" Casey laughed again and then Susan felt Molly's hand slide out of hers. Both girls stopped in their tracks on the sidewalk.

"Hi Grandma," Molly said brightly as a woman hurried toward them on the sidewalk. She was wearing an expensively cut winter coat over her slacks. Impeccably dressed and coifed from head to toe.

"I am so glad I caught you!" the woman exclaimed as she drew Molly into a hug. "I just happened to be on this side of town and thought I would come and get you so we can have lunch together."

"But daddy wants us to go home with Susan," Casey huffed disappointedly. "We have plans."

Rachel Hewitt turned cold brown eyes to Susan.

"Oh, I am sure your daddy wouldn't mind if you were to spend your afternoon with your Grandma," the older woman said brightly. "Would he?" Susan glanced from one face to the other. Molly seemed resigned but Casey was visibly disappointed.

"Maybe Susan can come with us," Molly suggested quietly. Rachel's

gaze hardened a bit.

"Oh, sweetie, I have to take Cosmo shoe shopping," Susan said. "Maybe we can do it another time."

"I don't need new shoes," Cosmo piped up from her side.

"Yes, you do, honey," Susan said as she pulled him closer to her. "Your toes are almost popping out of those sneakers." Cosmo looked down at his shoes in confusion.

"Please tell Scott that I will call him when I'm ready to bring them home again," Rachel said as she took a firm grip on both of her granddaughters and turned to walk away. Susan watched them go and then shivered. The sun was shining but the air was suddenly colder.

"Mom," Cosmo said. "Do we really have to get new shoes or was that one of those little lies that you said are okay to say so people's feelings don't get hurt?"

"I need some new shoes because I definitely want to throw them at somebody," she muttered angrily.

"What did you say?" the little boy beside her frowned.

"Nothing," Susan sighed. She looked down at her son and smiled.

"Ice cream or cupcake?" she asked and he grinned.

Scott was livid.

"Why didn't you tell her no?" he almost shouted over the phone. Susan held the cell phone away from her ear.

"I'm not going to fight with her, Scott," she said. "Not out on the street and not in front of the girls." She was watching Cosmo scale a rock climbing wall at the playground in the park.

"Besides," she went on. "I don't have any real rights to them. I'm just your girlfriend. She's their grandmother."

"You are more than that," he said as he calmed down. "You know it and so do they."

"Yeah, well tell that to the police officer that she probably would have called," Susan said.

"They would have called me and I would have told them that the girls were to go with you!" he bellowed.

"Calm down," Susan said quietly. "Has she ever done this before?"

"She's never picked them up at dance unless it was their weekend to stay with their grandparents," he said. "She knows better than to do that."

"Then how did she know I was getting them today, Scott?" Susan asked. "Do you think one of the girls called her? Maybe they wanted to go with her." He laughed on the other end of the call.

"I seriously doubt that. They were so excited when I said I was going to have you pick them up." Susan was mulling that one over. Casey was always a given. She loved spending time at the duplex. Molly was a mystery though.

"They…both….were, Susan," he said finally. "Honest, sweetheart." She smiled softly. Sometimes it felt like he could read her mind.

"I'm sorry that you had to go to the dance studio for nothing," he said.

"Oh, I got a cupcake out of it," she said. "Which kind of voided that whole morning run with Abby. But don't tell her, okay?" Scott chuckled.

"Its still kind of strange that she knew I was picking them up," Susan mused. "Are you going to be much longer?" Scott sighed heavily.

"I wish I weren't," he said.

"Well, call me later when you know what's going on," she said.

"I will," he said. "I'll talk to you soon." Susan smiled and turned off her cell phone. Cosmo had reached the top of the climbing wall and had crawled over the top to the fort. He waved and then disappeared down the slide at the other side. Weird that their grandmother had known that their dad wouldn't be picking them up. Was someone actually watching them? A chill ran up her spine and Susan shook her head. Creepy.