At the time Mary picked the call she said , “Excuse me, girls,” she excused herself to the dining room, puzzled for one bit, allowed her phone to ring twice more before taking a deep breath that would directly encourage her to pick the call; she had never been nervous like a puppy in a desert

Grinning her face hugely she picked up the call finally.

“Hello darling,” the sonorous voice of Doctor Frank beamed from the other end. His voice was crisp and exact in tempo; it was ...