FIFTY-TWO

BRAD WAS RIGHT! That was the last time he saw her.

Doris had not disappeared from his life like the last time. She was still around, but she was avoiding him like the plague. It was as if she was determined to never lay eyes on him again. It seemed he'd underestimated her feelings for him, and now he was paying the price.

The house was uncomfortably quiet without Doris' presence. It was as if the life and soul had been sucked out of the place. And It wasn't just him who noticed the difference, either. The whole family seemed to be affected by her absence. They all seemed to move through the days like zombies, going through the motions but with no real joy or enthusiasm. It was like a dark cloud had descended over the entire household.

Mrs. Hopkins, who had once loved to watch her soaps with Doris by her side, now found them dull and uninteresting. Without Doris to gossip and speculate with, the shows just weren't the same. And the kids? They were hardly ever excited. They