Hannah Wells listened to her kids fighting at the breakfast table and sighed. Just once she wished they could have a quiet breakfast. Every morning it was the same thing. One or the other couldn't find their socks, or the eggs were too runny, or too well done, or not done enough, or the sausage too old, or too tough, or too much sage.

'I'm an old sage." Hannah said to herself as she turned back to the kitchen sink. She looked at the frying pan with its yellow egg stains and wished for daffodils in her windowsill.

  "Mooommmmm!" Yelled Sofia over the racket.

Hannah thought of summer days and beaches.

Moooommmmmmm! Hellpppppp meeeee!" Cried Sofia louder.

A thought of blue jays flew through Hannah's brain where they disbanded when a frantic tug on her nightgown got her attention.

"Yes Sofia. What now."

"Didn't you hear me yelling for you?"

"No Sofia. I didn't. Oh look at the time. Come on let's get ready."

Sophie looked at her mother in exasperation and then at the other kids at the table. They shrug back at her and Mike makes a face.

"Moommmm. He's doing it again! Make him stop."

Hannah looks over at the table and gives them One Of Those Looks. They quiet down and glance at one another.

"Ok. Here's the deal. Just this one time. If all of you are ready by the time the bus gets here. I'll order pizza for dinner tonight."

Stunned silence greets her offer. Suspicious looks are cast her way. Hannah looks at the refrigerator. A newspaper coupon for Charlie's Pizzeria hangs there by a magnet fly.

"Honest."

Mike beckons to the rest of the brood and in silence they put on their shoes and gather up their schoolbooks. Hannah smiles but Mike is unsure about this whole thing. So unusual and what was his dad going to say about this pizza thing anyway?

"Hurry up. The bus must be at Renee's house by now."

The brood of seven children is dressed and out the door by the time the yellow bus arrives at the cluttered driveway. The startled driver opens the door and nods with disbelief. Well, will miracles never cease. The door closes and Hannah watches the bus pulls away. Mike's face is pressed flat against the window as he looks back at her.

Hannah goes into the small house and drops into one of the old wooden chairs. She munches on a piece of burnt toast and thinks about the offer she made to the kids. Now the problem presented itself. How is she going to - oh, who cares anyway.

Getting up, Hannah takes the milk and goes to the refrigerator. After putting the milk on the top shelf, she closes the door and stands there staring. Stuck on the door are dozens of items. Crayon pages the kids had done in school, notes, and lots of pictures cut from magazines from far off places. The entire refrigerator is covered in magazine pictures.

Hannah, standing there in her old stained robe looks at a faded photo of Paris. This was her favorite. Closing her eyes, Hannah is transported to the place of love.

-------------------------------------------

"Madame, sil-vous-plait, what ess it vous want?"

"Oh, Henri, how nice to see you again. I'll take the usual glass of French white wine."

"Oui."

Hannah sits back against the comfortable chair and looks around her. She can see the Eiffel tower from her chair and relaxes. She is dressed in the finest French clothes, a fur wrap around her shoulders, and her hair flowing loosely. Chanel No. 5 wafts from different secret parts and swirls about her. Henri brings her the wine. She nods at him and takes a sip. Ohhh, so good. Hannah glances at the door and a smile plays at her painted lips. He will be arriving any minute now. Hannah straightens her skirt and fluffs her hair as he walks in.

The women in the caf� stare at him. Tall and well built, the man stops just inside the door. He knows he is good looking and stops long enough to be admired. Every hair in place, the perfect tie matching the perfect suit and polished shoes. The heady scent of money surrounds him. He sees Hannah and waves. Dozens of female eyes follow his wave until they land on Hannah. A collective sigh is heard around the room as they see the beautiful redheaded woman at the table.

They order lunch and stare into one another's eyes. His hand sneaks across the lace tablecloth and touches her hand. An electric tingle surges through her body and she nods. As one, they get up; he drops money on the table as they leave. They are now at their private place. He is holding her and soon they will make love and he will tell her wonderful silly things.

--------------------------------------------

The phone rings and Hannah's world scatters. It was the electric company asking about the bill. She mutters something to them about next week and hangs up. Moving over to the sink full of dirty dishes, she adds more hot water and watches as soap bubbles climb high. She turns off the water. A ray of sun slices through the dirty window over the kitchen sink and catches the soap bubbles. In each Lilliputian bubble there is a rainbow, but Hannah does not see them; she is back at the refrigerator looking at a travel picture of beautiful Spain. She fades into her daydream.

-----------------------------------------------

"Mi bonita amiga, my beautiful friend, why are you so sad?" Asked the tall and very well built bullfighter. She lifts her dark smoldering Spanish eyes to his and decides to risk all.

"Hold me tighter and never let me go. I have decided to leave my husband and run off with you."

The tall and regal bullfighter gets up from the bed and goes to the window where he looks out at the town. He had fought his first bull in this small town. He glances back at the woman on the bed and his heart melts. No bull had ever given him this much excitement. With one last look out the window, he turns to her. He begins to remove his shirt and she can see his muscles ripple across his chest and her breath catches in her throat. She sighs in anticipation for what is about to happen.

When the bullfighter gets back to her bed, he is free from all clothes and her eyes wander down to his. . .

-------------------------------------

Knock-knock!

Hannah is startled by the sound and for a moment she does not know where she is, but she sees the messy kitchen and with a heavy heart goes to the kitchen door and opens it.

"Yes. May I help you?"

"Mrs. Bland? I'm here to collect on the water bill." The woman looks at Hannah in her rag tag chenille robe and notes with interest the condition of the kitchen. Well, it wasn't any of her business. She was just there to collect money.

Hannah is confused because she thought her husband had already sent in the bill. Maybe that was some other bill.

"Yes, of course. Wait here and I'll get my purse."

Hannah shuffles to the sideboard to get her worn purse with the broken strap. She digs around looking for that fifty-dollar bill, but then remembers she had promised the kids they would have pizza tonight. She puts her purse down and goes back to the door.

"I'm sorry, but I just remembered, my husband sent that bill to you people yesterday."

The water bill collector doesn't answer.

"Honest, he told me this morning." Said Hannah in her pleading voice. "Ok Mrs. Bland, but if that check is not in our office by Friday, or if the bill is not paid by Friday, I will be back here again. Except this time, the water will get shut off."

Hannah closes the door and glances at the clock and is surprised to see it is almost lunchtime and not one dish is washed and she not even dressed. Lord she felt old. Old and worn out. Hannah goes to the counter and gets a cup of coffee and after taking a stale donut, sits at the table littered with dishes. She can't help but look at the refrigerator where she sees a magazine cutout for Alaska.

----------------------------------------------------

"Mush, mush! We must get this medicine through!" Yells Sam Goodright as he pushes the twelve-dog team onward through the blizzard. He gazes down at the bundle of warm thick furs where a young and lithe woman was covered. She had brought the medicine as far as Nome and now it was up to him to make it to Council. She insisted on coming. What a trooper she was!

At long last he sees Council Roadhouse through the swirling snow and whipping wind, and guides his team there. He stops them and the young woman digs her way out from underneath the elegant furs until she stands beside the sled. She looks at the man who was wearing the most beautiful fur parka she had ever seen. On his feet were the largest handmade mukluks she ever known to exist. She was impressed and her heart beat faster.

He yells to her above the howling of the wind that the team needed food and some rest before they continued on. They enter the Roadhouse and are met with a roaring fire in a hugh stone fireplace and hot cider laced with brandy. Homemade sourdough bread and thick rich butter with hearty moose stew await them.

After dinner, they sit by the fire while the Indians care for the dogteam. Sam looks into her eyes and is impressed with the determination he sees there. He moves closer until he is standing over her. Hannah looks up into those green eyes with flecks of gold and sees herself reflected in them. He kneels on the bear skin rug and gently grasps one of her hands. A tingle works it way up her body and she feels faint.

"You are so lovely. Why, I don't remember ever seeing anyone like you before. Raven black hair, flaring eyes and feline grace and porcelain skin. Not a blemish. Is the rest of you as lovely?"

Hannah leans forward, her breasts brush against his hand, and taking one finger, she traces the angles of his manly face and runs her finger down the wide cleft in his chin. Rugged features. Weathered features. She takes in his smell and becomes more light headed. The smell of an outdoor man rich with odors of campfires, pinecones, and musk. Her head swirls.

"Yes, I too find you attractive."

"Could you find happiness in a wilderness cabin away from everyone else for months at a time? Just you and me and the big bed filled with furs." "Oh yes. But first we must get the medicine through."

"What a woman! You think only of others."

He brings his manly lips to her cupid shaped, naturally red lips, and kisses her."

-----------------------------------------------------

Hannah jumps as a plate falls to the floor. She blinks and sees Bubba, the dog, licking sausage grease off a dish. As she is about to scold the animal, the phone rings. Lord, how she wished she were in a remote cabin somewhere.

"Hello?"

"Hannah, it's Mary. A terrible thing has happened. Mary Jane's husband got killed about twenty minutes ago. An explosion at the construction site. Didn't you hear it when it blew up?

"Wha. . . what?"

"It's awful, pieces of her husband are everywhere. I got to go and check on my Charlie. Wasn't Ralph working on that site today? I got to get to the site. Call you later."

"Yeah, thanks Mary."

Hannah hangs up and stands in shock. Mary Jane and her used to be best friends. They grew up together and went to the same school and they both married their high school sweetheart. The only difference was that she had the brood and Mary Jane hadn't wanted any until they had enough money to afford a child. Now, it was too late. Ralph. Yes, he did mention something this morning about having to go work on that new site. Just as Hannah reaches for the phone she hears a sound.

The kitchen door opens and standing in the doorway is her Ralph in his dirty construction clothes. He is covered in dust and his hard hat is bent in several places, and in his rough and callused hands he is holding three pizza boxes. His face scarred from severe acne as a child, he looks at her and when he sees her, he smiles his wide toothy smile.

He sees before him the girl he had married many years ago. The slim, tall, athletic girl with the straight brown hair and large expressive eyes. He does not see the worn out young woman in the old and torn chenille robe. He sees the love of his life, the mother of his children, his lover and best friend.

Hannah looks at her husband and sends a small prayer of thanks. She sees not his scars, nor callused hands, but the boy she had fallen in love with and the man he had become. Hard worker, honest and loyal. With a sob, Hannah runs to her Ralph.

When the children arrive home from school they were many surprises waiting for them. There was pizza warming in the oven, their dad was home and cleaned up, the kitchen was bright and shiny, but most of all it was the refrigerator that got all of the attention. There was nothing at all on it. No coupons, no notes, and no magazine cutouts from foreign and exotic places. Bare, the entire thing was bare.

With a smile on his face, Mike was the first child to touch the refrigerator, and then with a smile in his heart, he looked over at his parents.

And in that one brief moment, Mike's world righted itself.