"By the time I met with you down at the Fifteenth, I'd been up for almost two days and could hardly remember what in the hell I was doing."

Diane replayed their conversation in her mind. "The first thing you said to me was that you needed some help." Then she remembered all the awful names she had called him and the way she had thrown his apology back in his face.

"Oh god, I was a complete jerk, Harry. I had no idea..."

"I know. I know. It ended up working well with the cover, so no harm done. Just to say, I knew then that being a financial help to Gracie wasn't going to be enough. I should have done something about it back then. I should have called Siobhan, or my mother. But I didn't."

She watched his pained expression and knew he felt genuine regret. Wanting to help, to make him feel better, she leaned over and kissed him.

"I'm starved. Let's see what you've got in those tidy cupboards in your kitchen."

While Diane rummaged around in the kitchen, Harry grabbed his sweater and duffle bag and went to his bedroom. Never one to leave things lying around,he put the clothes away and pulled out a clean shirt from his drawer. Gracie and Diane had made a mess of his bed, but he left it just the way it was.

He checked the top of his dresser to see if the ladies had done any snooping before he arrived. Next to a small basket in which he kept keys, change and a few, half-empty tic tac containers, was a plain box. It was about the size of his hand and very old. Something he had only recently retrieved from his safe deposit drawer at the bank. He opened it slowly, being careful with the worn edges, and reverently touched the treasure it held; his great-grandmother's claddah pendant on an intricate silver chain. It was stunning and small; two hands holding an emerald heart with a crown. The Irish symbol for fidelity.

Someday she would wear this. He knew it in his soul.

"I can't eat this stuff," Diane muttered to herself as she read the labels. Nearly every item on the shelf was extra spicy, Cajun style or red hot. She pushed past several bottle of Tabasco to the back and found nothing but jars of japaleno peppers.

She still had her head deep in the cupboard when she heard Harry enter the kitchen. Without looking at him she said, "You seem to have a thing for food that hurts."

"It is my contention that properly seasoned food should make you break out in a fine sweat."

She turned to see him poking around in the fridge. He was now wearing a blue T-shirt over his jeans and he clearly looked hungry.