"Okay, I understand. Right after the divorce, I worried sometimes that maybe it was something I did, or that Leo and John were doing."

"Jan, don't ever think like that. You're a good person, and I can promise you that I've talked to your mom and dad enough to know that their divorce had absolutely nothing to do with your or your brothers other than BOTH of them wanted to make sure that you were all happy, and knew that they both love you, and were taken care of properly."

"Thanks, Dan. I feel a lot better about it, now. Is it okay if I get on the computer again?"

"Sure, Trouble. The boys won't be home from the park for a while, and there's no reason you shouldn't."

When Paul got back from his trip, he and I were sitting on the patio having a beer when I told him that Jan had asked me some questions about sex and human anatomy. He wanted to know what I told her, and I explained to him what I'd done – without bothering him with the details of how the situation came up. He wasn't happy about being locked out of her Internet usage on the subject, but when I pointed out that if she thought he could watch, she wouldn't look at anything – and stay ignorant, and thus more likely to find herself in 'trouble'. That seemed to placate him, and he thanked me for not only helping her, but also letting him know what was going on. I suggested that he tell her that we'd talked, and that he was okay with it, which he agreed to.

It was a week or so before Paul got the nerve up to talk to Jan. A couple of days later, I was invited to join them for steaks from the grill.

Jan met me in the den, and gave me a strange look before asking, "Did you tell Daddy what we talked about the other day?"

"No, I didn't tell him what we talked about – only that we DID talk, and the general subject."

"I don't know if I like that."

"Well, Trouble, you've got to understand that your dad is my friend.