"Thank you," Michael said, glad to be home.
"Get a slice of that quiche," Robert told Michael quietly.
"I will," Michael said, "but right now, I just want to go out, enjoy some fresh air, drink my tea and smoke a cigarette. I haven't had a cigarette for four damn days. I think I'm entitled."
"You are indeed. Mind if I come along?"
"Not at all. Suit yourself," Michael said, tired of isolation. Michael went outside, sat down on the back porch, even though it was a bit chilly, and he lit up a cigarette. Robert poured himself some coffee and went out with Michael and bummed a cigarette from Michael and lit it.
"God, its good to have you back," Robert told him. "Clever move, that, shrinking the book."
"Well, they weren't looking for something that small, so I figured they might overlook tiny hiding places."
"And bizarre ones, like envelopes. Brilliant, my friend."
"Thank you. And thank you for not leaving me there."
"You wouldn't have left me either."
"Well, true," Michael exhaled, blowing smoke rings into the air.
"Well, good for you," Ana said to Ruby. "I'm sure you'll both be great parents." She listened to Ruby asking about thinking during pregnancy. "I had a little bit of that during the first part of my first pregnancy, but it evened out through the second trimester. The bigger issue was the huge toll that my attitude about pregnancy took on the two of us, and I didn't even realize it was happening until Sergio and I had the biggest fight we ever had. Sergio actually moved out for awhile. Eventually, we talked, and he finally told me how nuts I was making him without even realizing it. It wasn't just the brain fog. It was that I rarely talked about anything else but being pregnant, not feeling well, feeling tired, things I couldn't eat, things I wanted to eat, this part ached, that part was swollen... The constant complaining and the things I just quit doing because I didn't feel well. I was dumping on him in a million ways, and it just plain drove him away. None of it made me feel one ounce better, and the constant negativity really affected him badly."
Angus got out some pieces of chicken and oiled them with good olive oil, and put them on a couple sheet pans with smoked paprika, rosemary and garlic. Then Andrew helped him fix a couple more sheet pans with some root vegetables--onions, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes and rutabagas. Angus tossed them with olive oil, more garlic, smoked paprika, and rosemary, and he tossed them in the oven as well. He made some sheets of dark chocolate shortbread cookies with chocolate chips for dessert and added them to a second oven. It was simple fare, but he was sure it would taste good.
"Go spend some time with Sergio," Andrew told Angus. "I know you don't get to see him very often. I can get this stuff out of the oven and set up the dining room for supper when its ready."
"Thanks," Angus said, grabbing a couple bottles of beer. Sergio was only too glad to help Angus outside and into his outdoor chair so they could go a distance from the house for some privacy. They chose to go down by the pond.
by 
