Katherine stared into the toilet bowl, amazed and horrified at how filthy it was. But she couldn’t remember when she had cleaned it last.  That was another detail of housekeeping that Rick had helped her with, by leaving the seat lifted when the toilet began to be grimy.  When she came into the washroom she would be startled into giving it a hasty cleaning.  But without the regular reminder, Katherine hadn’t noticed, until today when she hadn’t been able to miss it.  She reached for the bottle of industrial-strength, thick blue goo that she feared might ruin the efficiency of the old septic tank, and squirted all around the underside of the rim.
     The phone rang, and Katherine’s heart leapt at the thought that it was Rick.  Eagerly, she went to the extension on the night table in her bedroom.  “Hello, Mrs. Glee?” came a stranger’s cheerful voice, and Katherine’s mood switched to high irritation.  A direct marketer wanting money for something she didn’t want, or for a charity she’d never heard of.  She was also partly annoyed at her own foolish expectation.
     “There’s no one here by that name,” she said coolly.
     “Oh well, sorry then,” said the voice in confusion.
     “That’s all right,” said Katherine hanging up in satisfaction.  Hate it when people call me Mrs.   A dead giveaway that they don’t know me, and that they’re selling something.  Love it when I blow their marketing script.  She returned to the washroom and began scrubbing the bowl, disappointed that it hadn’t been Rick on the phone.
     When the phone rang again later, Katherine reached for it slowly, suddenly overcome by  dread that it might actually be Rick this time.  Why would he be calling?  What would she say?  Could she forgive him?
     “Is that you or your answering service?” came Clara’s cheery voice instead.  “Oh good.  I do hate leaving a message.  Glad I caught you in.”
     Where else would I be, thought Katherine glumly.  Not doing much these days.
     “I thought I’d better call and see when you might want me to come over and look at your garden.  A weekend, I suppose is best for you.”
     Katherine strained to look out the living room windows.  Was it already time to think about gardening?  She squinted at the shrubs and things in front of the windows and saw that they were starting to show leaves.   “That would be great,” she said without much enthusiasm.  “How’s next weekend? And you’ll stay for lunch, won’t you?” A flicker of pleasure started to glow at the thought of having Clara visit. “Bring Irma of course. Noodle will love to see her.”  Details settled, Katherine said goodbye and wrote Clara’s name in her calendar. Seeing her plan for Saturday gave her hope and satisfaction.
     That evening the phone rang again in the quiet house.  Noodle raised his head, startled.  Katherine looked up from her book and swallowed her mouthful of a chocolate peanut butter cup.  This time, hope and dread that it might be Rick mingled together so that mostly, she felt nervous.
     It was Frieda.  “Douglas gave me your message…Yeah, I was out of town for a few days…I’ll tell you about it later sometime.  How’ve you been?”
     How to begin?  “I was wondering if we could get together, just the two of us.”
     Frieda hesitated.  “Gee, I just got back.  I hate to leave Douglas alone with kids again so soon.”
     “I’m not seeing Rick any more,” Katherine blurted out.  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.  And it’s complicated.”
     “Let me talk to Douglas and call you back to arrange a time,” said Frieda immediately.
     Katherine hung up and burst into tears.  Friends like mine are gold.  Never going to take them for granted again.

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