Wednesday knocked on the front door and started to turn away.  Samantha's husband Gerald answered the door in just a pair of shorts.  Wednesday wasn't comfortable with his state of dress and continued to look at her feet.  Gerald opened the screen door for her and ushered her in.
“Samantha's in the kitchen.”  Gerald pointed toward the kitchen then went and sat back down in the living room.
Wednesday nodded without making eye contact.  “Thank you.”
“Hey girl, chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting or chocolate icing?”  Samantha knew that Wednesday preferred cream cheese frosting but gave her the option anyway.
Wednesday sat down at the counter on a swivel bar stool then nervously turned a little left and right.  “Cream cheese definitely.”
“Is your car still acting up?”  Samantha said as she spread the frosting on the first layer of the cake.
Wednesday nodded.  “It's still sluggish.  Johnny thought there might be water in the oil.”
“Gerald's truck did that.  I'm not good with cars but I think it was a blown head gasket whatever that is.  I do know that it cost a lot to get it fixed but you have Johnny who will do it for free.  So what have you been doing?”  Samantha reached into the silverware drawer and got a spoon then got a gob of icing with it and passed it to Wednesday.
	Wednesday smiled briefly.  She slowly ate the frosting from the spoon.  She felt like she was intruding even though her friend always made her feel welcome.  Samantha had been her best friend since kindergarten so there was no need to be nervous but Wednesday nervously moved in the chair causing it to creak.
“I went to Johnny's shop today and got to see another of the cars.  I really like this one it's gun metal gray with red interior.  I would you rather it have black interior but oh well.  Ray showed an odd amount of interest in me.”
Samantha sat the second layer on top of the first then started to ice it as well.  “He always has but you never noticed before.  It's also a guy rule, you never date your best friend's sister.”
“Hold up now, I don't think he's that interested.”  Wednesday yawned and stretched.
Samantha laughed heartily.  “You never know, if you take care of yourself you're a beautiful woman.  I can tell you haven't showered in a few days by looking at your hair.”
“You're right, I just haven't had the urge.  The antidepressants aren't helping.  We've changed them at least 4 times in the past 3 months.”  Wednesday was embarrassed by her friend's observation.
“Has it been that long since I've seen you last?”
Wednesday brushed her bangs from her eyes after nodding.  “Yes it has been.  How have things been going?”
“Gerald got a raise and was moved to quality control at the factory.  I'm 2 months pregnant.”
Wednesday looked up in shock.  “Why didn't you call me and tell me?”
“I wanted to tell you in person.  Everything is falling into place and a baby is the final piece.  I want a boy but believe it or not Gerald wants a little girl.  He wants a Daddy's girl someone he can spoil.”  Samantha passed Wednesday the rest of the can of frosting.
“Thank you.  Back to Ray.  I never realized until tonight that his blue eyes are more of a blue gray very pretty.”
Samantha cut a piece of the cake and put it on a saucer.  “Be right back let me take this to Gerald.”
	Wednesday looked around the kitchen and dining room as she waited for Samantha to return.  The kitchen was in perfect order with canisters of dry goods on the counter.  A perfectly organized spice rack hung on the wall next to the refrigerator.  A lot of people would have put the spice rack over the stove but Wednesday remembered from home-ec that it was a bad idea to expose your spices to so much heat and variations in humidity.  Apparently Samantha remembered that as well.
Samantha entered the kitchen.  “Gerald is in there swearing that he said chocolate with chocolate.  I threatened to take it back from him if he was going to complain.  He took it from me and guarded it like a bear guarding a salmon.”
“I haven't baked a cake in so long I can't remember.  Of course the only thing I cook are TV dinners and Hot Pockets.  Mom does all of the cooking.”  Wednesday accepted the piece of cake that was offered to her.
Samantha passed Wednesday a fork.  “How is your Mom?”
“Not too bad, she had to take time off from the filter factory because she got textile asthma.”
Samantha tilted her head in curiosity.  “All the little particles from the materials get to her?”
Wednesday nodded taking a bite of her cake.
“I'm surprised Gerald has never gotten that.  He's worked there since he was 19, 4 long years.  It shouldn't be so bad since he won't be working on the line but QC is such a pain in the ass, measure this, measure that, check this, check that.”  Samantha had a seat beside Wednesday after cutting herself some cake.
	Wednesday had begun to feel more comfortable and creaked in her chair less but still she felt like she was a bother, an intrusion and an obligation.  What if this was a special evening for Samantha and Gerald?  What if that was the reason her friend had baked and made such a beautiful cake?
“You sure you and Gerald don't have anything planned?”  Wednesday asked taking another bite of her cake.
“No hun, relax, I just felt like making a cake, there's no special occasion.  If anything you coming here is the special occasion.  Maybe that was what fate was thinking.”  Samantha passed Wednesday a napkin.
Wednesday dabbed the corners of her mouth.  “That was a really good cake.”
“Good old Duncan Hines.  I haven't made a cake from scratch in 8 years since home-ec.  Remember back then we talked about opening our own bakery and making wedding cakes.”  Samantha sat her fork down across the saucer.
Wednesday let out a little sigh.  “I wanted it too but just never thought I was capable and you didn't want to go it alone.”
“We're only 22, the world is our oyster, we can bake a cake, make elaborate kites, open a left only shoe store.”  Samantha laughed heartily.
Wednesday laughed but with less intensity.  “We could open a right only  and a left only store.”
“It is so damn good to see you.  Are you still seeing Dr. Ellis?”
Wednesday nodded.  “Once a month.”
	Wednesday had been going to see Dr. Ellis the premier psychiatrist for Fellowesville since last November.  They had made very little progress.  Wednesday wanted to change psychiatrists and go with a state agency one to save Johnny money since he paid for her visits.  Dr. Ellis told her repeatedly that she needed therapy, intensive therapy to get better and that medication alone wasn't the answer.  Johnny offered to pay for her to see Murphy Simpson the therapist that helped Johnny with his relationship problems and other problems.
“Do any of the drugs help?”  Samantha asked taking the saucers to the sink.
Wednesday shook her head once Samantha turned around.
“When Gerald's grandfather passed away last year he was on prozac to deal with the grief.”
Wednesday nodded in agreement.  “I remember that.  He was really close to his grandfather.”
“Gerald is a child of divorce and his closest male role model was his grandfather.  At least he died once Gerald was grown unlike your father who passed away when you and Johnny needed him the most.”  Samantha reached into the refrigerator and passed Wednesday a Diet Coke.
“Thanks.  All of the medications have side effects.  Dry mouth.  Clammy hands.  Constipation.  Dr. Ellis wanted to put me on anti anxiety meds for my shaking but I don't want to get addicted.”
Samantha sat back down next to Wednesday.  “I saw you shaking as you ate and you know there's no need to be nervous around me.  If you need them and you're going to need them for a long period I wouldn't worry about addiction.”
Wednesday nodded.  “I know you're right but I also don't want to be sedated.”
“I'm sure there is something out there that isn't addictive and won't sedate you.  It's 2003 medication has come a long ways and it's just going to go better as time goes on.”  Samantha rested her hand on Wednesday's knee.
“I read the literature for one called Zylotan.  It's most frequent side effect was rectal leakage.  That's wonderful calm, collected and wearing a diaper.”  Wednesday laughed for a moment then quickly stopped herself self conscious that that may not have been that funny.
Samantha smiled.  “Gerald's Dad is coming over tomorrow night for dinner and I have no idea what to make them.”
“Pigs in a blanket, deep fried tater tots and grape koolaid.”  Wednesday remembered how simple and basic her father was and smiled warmly.
Samantha laughed then took a sip of her soda.  “Um no, I'm thinking stuffed pork chops, broccoli, corn, and chocolate cake.”
Wednesday shrugged.  “I was just thinking of my Dad.”
“Vernon was lucky, it didn't take a whole lot to make him happy, you, your brother and Mom were all he needed, the meal, the entertainment, none of that mattered.  You were lucky.”
Wednesday nodded then brushed her bangs from her eyes.  “Yes I was.  I remember one time when I was 12 I tried to bake a cake from scratch.  It was dry, crumbly and took half a glass of milk just to choke down a small piece.  Daddy never once made a grimacing face instead he just kept smiling as he choked down that cake.”
“That was before you took home-ec.  I know for a fact that you can follow a recipe now and with a little practice could follow one from memory.  I still want to open a bakery but now that I'm having a kid I want to dedicate my life to being the best parent possible.”
	Wednesday wished she had stopped to get a carton of cigarettes or at least a pack.  She looked around for ashtrays and there were none to be found.  Wednesday wondered if Gerald and Samantha had quit smoking because of the baby.  She was uncomfortable around Samantha as she was with most people but not to the extent where she wanted to leave.  She hated to think of leaving just for a lousy, carcinogenic cigarette.
“Did you and Gerald quit smoking?”  Wednesday asked biting on her thumbnail.
Samantha nodded.  “As soon as I found out that I was pregnant I quit.  Gerald hated going outside to smoke so he quit too.  I still have cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters but I never could find anyone to give them to until now.”
Wednesday assumed Samantha meant her.  “Thanks.”
“Let me get them for you.”
	Wednesday expected a few packs of cigarettes, two or three ashtrays and a couple of lighters.  She was pleasantly surprised when she looked in the box Samantha brought into the kitchen.  In the box were 1.5 cartons of Marlboro Light 100s.  So much for quitting smoking Wednesday thought to herself.
Wednesday spoke softly but not quite a whisper.  “Would it be okay if I stepped out onto the back deck and had a cigarette?  I haven't had one in an hour or two.”
“Sure, you don't need to ask.  You are always so polite.”
	Wednesday shrugged then took a pack out of the open carton and stepped outside.  Stepping out on to the back deck Wednesday thought about children and how they changed their lives.  Being 22 she knew she had plenty of time left to worry about that.  The truth of the matter is she had only  three boyfriends in 5 years and had only been intimate with 4 men her whole life.  She did date Larry for about two years but there was never a real connection and they hardly ever saw each other.  She also dated Ed's first cousin Kevin but that only lasted 5 days because she couldn't communicate with him since he had a major speech impediment.  Wednesday finished her cigarette and stepped back inside.
Gerald stepped into the kitchen while putting a button up shirt on.  “Would ya'll like to go shoot pool?”
“No, thanks.”  Wednesday wished she had something to drink since she finished her first diet Coke.
“Come on.  We hardly ever get to see you and I don't want to let you go that easily.  We could go to the Rusty Nail.”  Gerald said taking a drink of Samantha's soda.
Wednesday shook her head.  “The tables at the bowling alley are better plus there are 4 of them instead of just 2.”
“I didn't think you got out enough to know which was better.”  Samantha scratched her nose.
Wednesday shrugged.  “I don't normally but I have.  I just like being alone in my room listening to music.”
Samantha stood up and put her arm around Wednesday's shoulders.  “Tonight your room will have to wait for you.  I doubt it will get lonely maybe needs some time alone.”
“Okay.”  Wednesday smiled briefly and laughed.
Samantha gasped.  “Oh my God, call the newspapers we have an announcement.  Wednesday smiled and she has teeth.”
Gerald laughed too.
	Wednesday took a seat on a stool while Gerald and Samantha went to put on their shoes.  She didn't really want to go out.  Today was just an off day she didn't want to leave the house.  She only came out for a carton of cigarettes.  It started off with Ray asking her to go out to dinner.  Now Samantha and Gerald wanted her to shoot pool.  It was true that she was a natural at pool though.  It wasn't uncommon for her to run the entire table.
Samantha stepped into the kitchen.  “We'll take our car since your car is having issues.  If you want to bowl we can do that too but you'll crush me.”
Wednesday shrugged and bit her lip trying to be modest.  “It's all in the release.”
“You get the ball almost parallel with the lane.  It also helps that you use a fifteen pound ball.  I still don't know how you do that one.”   Samantha helped Wednesday off the stool.
Wednesday started to slowly walk toward the door.  “Johnny thinks I'd be better off with my own personalized twelve pound ball.”
	Once they were out to the car Samantha tried to get Wednesday to sit up front.  The back seat of the Ford Taurus was perfectly comfortable in Wednesday's opinion.  Wednesday relented though and sat up front next to Gerald feeling totally uncomfortable and awkward.  On the way back into town Gerald turned on the radio to WPIG and a new Toby Keith song came on.  Country music wasn't Wednesday's favorite because she preferred industrial metal music.  She did like to listen to country from time to time but even with heart break songs it wasn't dark enough or deep enough or emotional enough.  Being a Wednesday evening the bowling alley's parking lot was rather empty.
	Once they were inside they found that most of the lanes were empty and only two of the four pool tables were being used.  After a minor skirmish over who was going to get the change for the pool table was over, which Wednesday had won, they went to the table and tried out sticks for straightness.  Wednesday rolled a twenty ounce across the table which seemed true enough.  Gerald and Samantha weren't having such good luck and settled for the least of the evils.  It didn't matter because who ever played Wednesday was going to lose.  She was just that good and had that much finesse and skill.
	Samantha placed the dollar and a quarter into the table to release the balls.  She retrieved the rack from under the table and proceeded to rack the balls.  Wednesday reminded her that you arrange them solid stripe with the one ball being at the head of the rack.  Wednesday was to shoot first against Samantha.  They shot the cue ball to end of the table before releasing the rack to see who went first.  Wednesday shot the ball to the end of the table and it barely came back at all.  She had so much control over her game.  She had thought that to herself many times and wished she had that much control over her own life.
“I want Samantha to break first.”  Wednesday chalked her pool cue carefully.
Samantha shook her head.  “If you run the table that's fine with me because that's the way the game goes.”
“I shoot the winner.”  Gerald said sitting on a stool along the wall.
	Wednesday broke the rack once it was released from the triangle once it was rolled forward to make sure the balls were tight.  The fifteen and the seven ball went into the corner pocket.  Wednesday had her choice of solids or stripes.  After walking gingerly around the table twice she decided on stripes.  Bam in went the thirteen ball followed by the nine ball and the eleven ball.  Wednesday didn't have a shot so she tapped the fourteen then parked the ball behind the 8 ball.
'Gee, thanks.”  Samantha' took over the table with her only shot being a bank shot on the four.	Samantha noticed something funny.  When Wednesday was shooting she didn't shake.  Her grip wasn't overly tight either like she was fighting the shakes.  Samantha knew part of Wednesday's problem was self confidence not just self-esteem.  Samantha watched Wednesday work the table with such finesse and grace.  Her every movement was controlled with poise and prowess.  When a firm solid hit was required she did.  When just a little tap was necessary she did.  Samantha could have swore that Wednesday was smiling and enjoying herself.
	They played 4 more games with Wednesday being victorious on all of them except one which Gerald won.  It was cosmic bowling night and there was strobe lights and black light highlighting the lanes.  The only balls available were the fluorescent colored ones.  Samantha talked Wednesday into bowling a few frames.
“I'll take a size eight and a half.”  Wednesday stood nervously not making eye contact with the attendant renting the shoes.
Gerald returned from getting sodas for everyone and stopped to get shoes.  “I need a ten and a half.”
Samantha hated to say her size because she had large feet for a woman.  “I need an eleven and a half in women's.”
	Once they had a seat and changed their shoes they setup the scoring monitor.  Wednesday was to bowl first followed by Samantha then Gerald.  Wednesday started to look for a fifteen pound ball with small holes which they had very few of.  Samantha found a nice ten pound ball.  Gerald stepped away for a bit and returned with two black balls a twelve and a fifteen.  Gerald chose the twelve leaving the fifteen for Wednesday if she wanted it.
	Wednesday crushed her friends at bowling.  The first game she annihilated them with a 210.  The second game she managed to get 217.  The third game she only got 197 but still in comparison to Gerald's 155 and Samantha's ninety-eight they were overwhelmed.  Samantha had watched in disbelief.  Wednesday showed so much grace with the ball touching the lane close to the floor and at the start of the lane.  The ball would curve slowly from one side of the lane to the middle then hitting the pins dead center.  Samantha wished these victories even though they were merely games would boost Wednesday's self confidence instead she just attributed her victories to luck.
“How do you manage to get so low without slipping and falling on your cartookus?”  Gerald had to ask as they left the bowling alley.
Wednesday shrugged her shoulders and put up her hands.  “I just can.  It starts off like warrior pose when I do yoga with Mom. Allie, Johnny's fiancee, comes over twice a week and we do yoga.  If you want you can join us.  It'll be good with your pregnancy.”
“Thanks.  I might just do that.”
Gerald pointed at his watch.  “It's 10:30 and I have to be up at 6.  Let's roll.”
	Samantha took the keys from Gerald and decided to drive so Wednesday would be sitting up front next to her.  Wednesday appreciated that because being around men even married ones like Gerald made her nervous.  After 7 years she still had a mistrust of men after what had happened with Owen Thompson.  It was beyond a doubt that she would ever be in that position again with Gerald or any other man since she kept herself so guarded.