“Something’s wrong with Dennis?”

Penny’s words spilt out in a hectic rush. Wineglass halfway to her lips, Steph stopped. Penny sucked in her breath waiting for her best friend to freak out. Raina looked from her sister to Penny and back again. Flexing her eyebrows she encouraged Penny to continue. Coughing, Penny cleared her throat.

“Please don’t be mad, Steph. I just had a feeling, this feeling.”

Penny looked down at her own wineglass. She was three glasses down and still felt wound tight as a spring. With her eyebrows Penny pleaded with Raina to take over. Raina downed the rest of her rosé and looked in her glass for the right words, for the most effective tone. She decided on humor.

“I mean come on being in the witness protection program, then his mother being in a car accident, and now this cancer scare. I mean over the last eighteen months Dennis has put you through more twists and turns than a telenovella. We had to google him and then Pen went on this deep dive. And shit got weird, Steffie,” Rains said petting her baby sis’ hand.

“Well what is this big secret I never asked you to find?” Stephanie asked flatly.

“His real name is Rodney and he’s married and I’m so sorry.”

Stephanie slammed down her glass splashing pink sweet wine. She marched to the edge of her deck. Even in the dim light Stephanie could she the outlines of her garden. She created this during the pandemic her own oasis. Dammit, Stephanie thought, I have a nice house and a good job. I stand on my own feet and never asked for a Prince Charming to swept me off my feet and make me a stepford wife. Wealthy and erudite Dennis has been an unexpected bonus in her life. She’d never felt so treasured before.

“I did some searching. I found his wedding website. She his wife looks nice. He got married just a few weeks before you meet on Tinder. He hasn’t been hiding from the mob or taking care of his mom. There is no scouting for a documentary with Brad Pitt. All those times He was going home,” Penny said speaking faster and faster.

“I know everything. You don’t understand. You’ve never understood us.”

Stephanie spoke to her garden instead of her friend. Raina gasped.

“Stow the dramatics. I know you never like him, Ray. Even from the beginning. Always looking for something wrong. Dennis I mean Roger and I had an argument because our Disney trip with his daughter was canceled because his ex had to go back to London with Tess to deal with an immigration issue. That’s why we ended it. The real story. He came and packed his things but I couldn’t let him go. I chased him down the street like a goddamned dog. He came clean. Told me the truth. He had to marry Norma or she’d take Tess away. They live separate lives. He did all this lying to keep me,” Steph said.

Turning slowly she squared her shoulders ready to argue. Raina rushed towards Stephanie. Screaming the sisters flew at each other. Gripping her sister’s shoulders Raina shook Stephanie hard.

“You’re staying with this maniac. He made up hit men and federal agents. He was late to your third date because he was on his honeymoon with his freaking wife. You could wind up oversees in a trunk in his basement.”

“You never wanted me to be happy, to find someone who loves me. That’s what this is about. Dennis is divorcing. Dennis and Tess and I are going to be a family. You can’t take that can you?”

Looking from woman to woman Penny was horrified. When should I tell her there is no Tess, she thought. Instead she drowned her glass.