"Yes, I suppose with Greg quitting his regular job, you'll
need to make a little more here."
"Oh, no, that has nothing to do with it." Cherise's blue
eyes grew larger. "Didn't you hear the news?"
"What news?"
"Greg and I split up," she announced. Then lowering her
voice to almost a whisper she continued, "I haven't officially
told anyone just yet. Everyone thinks I'm remodeling the
upstairs in order to expand the fitness center, but I've been
living up there for the past week."
204Melody Carison
"Oh, Cherise. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was that
bad."
"It's okay, Maggie." She patted her arm soothingly. "I
mean, sure, I cried my eyes Out the first couple of days. But
then I moved all my stuff upstairs and got everything all set-
tled and it wasn't so bad. Right now I'm having a bathroom
and kitchen installed and it's going to be really cool. My
mom 5 helping me Out with money for the remodeling, and
in the meantime I just rundown here to take a shower or
whatever. Really, it's been kind of fun. To tell you the truth,
I haven't been this happy in a long, long time."
"Well..." Maggie didn't know what to say. "I'm sure
everything will work out."
"I know you think marriage is real important, and I do
too. But Greg has always been on my case about something
or other. According to him, I never do anything right, and
it's not like I didn't try."
"I know you did."
"Now that I'm on my own, I just can't believe how free,
andhappy,Ifeel. Imean,Idomisshimalittle." She laughed.
"But only a little. Hey, you want to come up and see my
place?"
"Well, sure, but I can't stay too long. I need to get back
to work pretty soon."
Cherise led her up a narrow stairway and into a large
loftlike room where in one corner a carpenter was framing
in a wall, and in another corner knelt Sam Galloway, busily
working with some copper pipes.
"Hey, Sam," called Out Maggie. "Looks like you're
keeping busy."
"Hi, Maggie." Sam stood and smiled. "I'm trying to get
Cherise all set so she doesn't have to keep running down-
stairs for water."
"And he's doing a great job too," said Cherise. "Sam's the
best plumber."
*"I know, he's had a hand in my house too." Maggie made
*a mental note to quiz Sam about labor union rules and how Looking for You All My Life205
union members would feel about the way that Cohn Byers
developed his properties. "Don't let us keep you, Sam. Hey,
by the way, we want Scott and Chloe to have their wedding