Tess placed the handset in its cradle and stared at the end table the phone rested on--remarkably, the only piece of furniture untouched by Ralph in his earlier rampage.

"Well?" Herbie inquired from his place at the foot of the stairs.

"That's a good word for it," she said, wiping the stray tear from her left cheek before turning to face him. "He said he is going," she said simply.

"And that's it?"

Tess nodded.

"Good." Herbie turned to face the kitchen. "She is off of the phone, Dad."

"Yeah...okay," came the reply.

"Come on, Tess," Herbie said as he turned to face her.

"Where are we going?"

"My room, or what is left of it."

"Okay," she managed, quietly falling in behind him.

From the kitchen, Ralph could be heard: "Just come home, okay?"

"I'll try to get away," Edith said from the other end, "but you know how my boss is."

"Yeah, I know. Just hurry."

"I will. Later."

"Bye, hon," he said and hung up.

After a moment of silence, Nick spoke: "You really do love her, don't ya, bro?"

"What do *you* think?" Ralph replied, glancing at Nick, who was seated at the righted dining room table.

Herbie took one last look at his room before he closed the door.

"Well, at least I will have something to do after this is all over," he said over a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Tess had been silent since she had spoken with her father; Herbie was getting worried.

"I am really sorry about all of this; this crap with Bob."

"It's not your fault, Herbie," she said, not taking her eyes off the floor.

"Are you hungry? We could order a pizza," he said hopefully, expecting at least a little smile.

"That's fine, Herbie. Do you have any paper?"

"Hey, don't I at least get a few points for effort?" he whined. "I am trying..."

"I am sorry, Herbie. It isn't you, I just feel like writing."

"Yeah, sure, Tess. Here in dad's room." Herbie took her to the room next to his and set her down at its solitary table.

"Let me get this out of your way," he said, removing his father's worry log and placing it on the far, solitary, bookcase filled with similar logs.

"Try this one," he said, removing an empty notebook and handing it to Tess with an ink pen.

"Thanks," she said, looking up at him and smiling.

After a second, Herbie clapped his hands together and said, "Well, if you need me, I will be downstairs. Okay?"

"Okay, Herbie. Thanks."

"You sure you're, okay?"

"Yeah. Good-bye, Herbie."

"Bye," he said, pulling the door closed behind him.

Tess looked around the empty, white room for a while, trying to clear her thoughts. She tried to forget about the day and all that had happened.

Five minutes later, she started to write.

Meanwhile Bob listened quietly as Major finished his third and then his fourth beer before he acted. As silently as his bulk would allow, he positioned himself in front of the back door, and then brought his smaller, nimble right claw up to knock.

Major, who had just made it back to the bar with his fifth, looked up in surprise. "Who's there?"

Where no spoken reply came, a knock did.

"Dammit, I said who is there!" Major rose and advanced to the door.