ODDS OF LOVE : ONE MOMENT

Episode 32

Glory Norland was a problem solver type of person. She always had been. She had grown up the oldest daughter of two fervent pastors who spent their entire lives doing much good work in and outside the country. In fact she had and her two siblings had actually grown up in Botswana while her parents had ran an orphanage and school there. She had flirted with the idea of becoming a minister herself in her youth but decided to be a social worker instead. Her social work was how she met Andrew; the non profit agency she had worked for had been in the same building as his AA meeting. It had taken her a while to get him to trust her after the nightmare of his past marriage to Doris Van Burden but eventually they had fallen in love.

Every day was a dream with that man, she thought as she finished sending off the last text message. A crease formed in her already lined forehead as she pondered whether it was a good idea inviting everyone over for a big Sunday dinner prepared by herself, Spencer and dear young Luci.

Herself and Andrew.

DuBuis and Spencer.

Luci.

Faith, DuBuis's sister.

Richard and his secretary Nigel. Spencer had told her that the poor man Nigel was getting released from the hospital today so he - and Richard - would probably love a home cooked meal that was not hospital food.

And since the boys' had made the old dining room their bedroom due to Spencer's disability she thought it would be fun to dine on the screened in back porch deck. It had a nice big picnic type table back there and a grill as well. They would do a cook out. Burgers and fries. Potato salad. A nice green salad for good health's sake. Deviled eggs. Sodas and water. No beer , she thought as Andrew's face came to her mind. Andrew did not mind being around others who drank but she didn't want him to have additional temptation in his life.

She sat back in the kitchen chair with her eyes closed. Spencer had told her about the feud of sorts with the lady next door. She could understand the feelings on both sides. It could not be easy for Gertrude Klein to accept that her grandson was facing charges and punishment for Spencer's robbery shooting as well as shooting Faith but that didn't mean she could blame Spencer and try to prevent friendship between the two children. This might backfire on her but she had slipped out of the house earlier when Spencer and DuBuis had left with Andrew to pick up food from the grocery store for tonight. She had went next door to introduce herself to Mrs. Klein who seemed a fairly reasonable woman. She also seemed lonely and like she missed her over the fence friendship with Spencer. Maybe she did.

Maybe that was why she had accepted the cook out invite Glory had offered her for herself and Sol.

She tapped her fingers haphazardly on the table top.

" What could it hurt? ," she murmured out loud.

Luci was getting a soda from the refrigerator when she heard the woman she was already calling Mama Glory; she called Andrew Poppy Andrew. " If you mean inviting Mrs. Klein without telling my uncles ," she said," it might hurt a lot. It might help a lot too. "

Glory smiled at the young girl who oddly seemed older than her years. Much like Andrew said Spencer had been growing up.