Kim Hughes sighed.

It was 2:30 am and she was wide awake. Carefully she slipped out of bed so as not to wake her husband Bob who had been sleeping soundly beside her. She loved hearing the sounds of his snoring so gently.It gave her a sense that they had did the right thing.She missed Oakdale and the time change still needed little getting used to.

In the kitchen Kim put on a sauce pan to heat some milk. Sounds cliche' but warm milk did help her sleep.It had been almost six months since she and Bob had retired from their jobs,sold their home and relocated to Phoenix,Arizona. Gone were the 18 hour days of owning amd managing a television station for her and being Chief of staff of a regional hospital for him.

No she didn't miss the lomg hours, the urgent emergencies and the lack of sleep and rest. Oh she missed Oakkdale. She missed her friemds and loved ones. She didn't miss their constant troubles though. And Susan Stewart.She chuckled as she sipped the last of her milk. Yes,she had forgiven Susan and put the stuff she had done far in the recesses of her mind. But that woman and her daughters were the curse of the Hughes men!

She rinsed her cup and put it in the drainer and returned to the bedroom. She slipped in beside her peaceful sleeping husband and heard the sound of a train whistle in the distance. All was at peace. No worries,no troubles. No emergencies,no deadlines.Not a care in the world.

Little did she know that peaceful existence was going to come to an end real soon! Real soon!