The mayor of Philadelphia stood with his hand out-stretched and a broad smile on his face, as he presented Isaiah with the gleaming plaque. "Dedication and Service‟, it read, "for all the humanitarian efforts on behalf of the sick and needy‟, and Izzy‟s name was engraved at the bottom. Karen stood beside Isaiah, watching proudly. He was a good man. Deserving of the award. She felt the pride swell in her chest as he accepted the plaque, and smiled for the cameras with his arm around her shoulder. Alex had done her job well. Not a soul seemed concerned over the ruckus caused by the concert schedules or the arena changes. Everyone was happy, including Karen. She had thought happiness would be an illusion for the rest of her days when she had returned from her abbreviated honeymoon to find her daughter gone. She had cried, she had screamed, she had beaten herself, and everyone around her for days; but, Annette remained gone, and life was certainly going to continue. Now she stood in Philadelphia, in the bright sunshine of a January morning, on a stage in front of thousands of people, next to the man of her dreams, and all was right with the world. Unless you considered the phone call that morning.

***

"I thought you said you didn‟t have any family," Isaiah said calmly, when she hung up the phone, looking at her surprised expression. Karen worried that he would be angry. Instead she saw a glint of humor in his eyes. "It‟s just the beginning. You watch. They‟ll be poppin out of the wood work like cockroaches." "Do you have to say cockroaches?" "Yes." His face lost its humorous expression for a second, becoming deadly serious, then lightening again. "The only one in this room that‟s surprised is you." She was astonished, that was the least that could be said. Her father hadn‟t talked to her in nearly fifteen years, having been so caught up in his own life, he had all but ignored her during her childhood, he hadn‟t bothered at all once she was married and out of the house. Then, that morning, only a few short days after the announcements had hit the papers, she found herself connected across the telephone lines while he talked as though she had just left his house yesterday. "And they‟ll be holding their hands out." She noticed he had lost his smile once again. Walking over to where he stood, preparing to leave, she adjusted his tie and kissed his cheek. "That‟s nice, dear." She patted his chest and sat back down on the bed, eyeing him lasciviously, hoping he would catch on. His eyes told her he did, but he continued to dress, adding a suit-coat, and putting on his shoes as he smiled at her attempts at seduction. "You are wicked. You know we have to leave soon. Aren‟t you going to start getting ready?" Karen bit her lip to keep from smiling as he looked nervously at his watch, it was way past eight and the mayor would be waiting at nine. "Get a move on." Then pushing out his lower lip he gave her his most innocent, lost look, and added. "Please." In his best little boy voice, and she rolled on the bed laughing.