Barry was already there when the two women drove into the nearly deserted McDonald’s parking lot, standing next to his old blue Volvo, looking tired and disgruntled. Sam sighed heavily and glanced over at Valerie; her lover looked prepared for anything, and ready to fight.
It didn’t start out as badly as Sam had feared. Barry greeted them both pleasantly enough, even shaking hands with Valerie. They attempted to make some small talk about Valerie’s car, which only served to intensify Sam’s anxiety. As they all gazed into the engine and discussed the weight of oil Valerie used, Sam just wanted to get on with the inevitable confrontation so she could go home and see Emily and Dax, take a nap in her own bed, and put this whole mess on the back burner…at least for the rest of the day. She was
