She had written to Ken, not able to face the pain of a telephone call, and he had responded immediately with a long-distance call of his own. Bette knew that Ken had always liked her, that perhaps his feelings for her had even at one time gone deeper than that, and she had always been able to talk to him. She was still able to talk to him, she discovered, and on the telephone that day she had poured out the entire sad, sordid story, begging at the end of it for forgiveness, begging him to let her come for a visit to see if she could find herself again. Ken had been sympathetic and understanding; too many years had passed, he said, for grudges to be held. People made mistakes every day, huge mistakes, and as long as they were willing to admit those mistakes, to seek amends for them, then they should be forgiven.

Tony had been less forgiving when he heard of his mother's plea to come home. He hadn't wanted her home; he still held firm to his vow never to see her again; this was what Ken had reluctantly told Bette in another phone call. But Ken had gently worked on the youth's resistance, while Bette waited expectantly in Chicago, not wanting to come unless Tony wanted her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to face him otherwise, and finally Tony had relented. Yes, his mother could come for a visit. After all, it was his uncle's house, wasn't it? If he wanted her there, then Tony guessed he did too.

Ecstatic, Bette had made all the arrangements and had left yesterday afternoon for Westridge.

Now, as the speeding taxi entered Westridge, nearing Ken's home, Bette was once more assailed with doubts, and her nervousness increased. If only Tony will forgive me, truly forgive me, she thought fervently, if only he'll accept me again as his mother then I'll be able to stay in Westridge and try to put together the shattered pieces of my life. But if he won't, I'll have no choice but to leave again, return to Chicago and never see Tony or Ken or Westridge again. There'll be no hope then, no happiness, no future at all for Bette Clark.