Winnie’s husband was the last to appear. He was the tallest of the men, lean and fine featured, with wheat-colored hair, caramel eyes, and one of those perfectly symmetrical male faces that had, on several occasions, prompted Merylinn to tell him he needed to fulfill his God-given mission and sign up to be a regular sperm donor. The Seawillows were too polite to stop what they were doing and cross-examine him the way they wanted to, but they watched from the corners of their eyes as he picked up the corkscrew and began to open the wine Winnie had set out.

Winnie felt the old ache in her chest. They’d been married a little over thirteen years. They had a beautiful child, a lovely house, a life that was almost perfect. Almost … because no matter how hard Winnie tried, she would always be second best in Ryan Galantine’s heart.

After two days living on Coke and stale Krispy Kremes, Sugar Beth couldn’t put off buying groceries any longer. She waited until dinnertime Tuesday evening, hoping the Big Star would have emptied out by then, and drove into town. Luck was with her, and she was able to pick up what she needed without having to speak with anyone except Peg Drucker at the register, who got so rattled she double-scanned the grape jelly, and Cubby Bowmar, who caught up with her while Peg was bagging and revealed a gaping hole where his right canine tooth had once been.

“Hey, Sugar Beth, you are even mo’ gorgeous than I remember, doll baby.” His eyes trailed from her breasts to the crotch of her low-rise pegged pants. “I got my own business now. Bowmar’s Carpet Clean. Doin’ real good, too. What’s say me and you go toss back a few beers at Dudley’s and catch up on old times?”