Just then the door lock clicked, and she knew Tom was home.  Claire froze, rendered unmoving by the strength of the emotions tearing through her very soul.  Love, hate, and hurt warred in her chest with embarrassment as she viewed the carnage her fury had created.  Defensively she picked up the suitcase and lugged it out to the kitchen to meet Tom as he came through the door.  He had to push the door open, shoving garbage out of the way and gingerly picking a path through the mess, so she didn’t immediately see what he had with him.  When she did, her jaw and her pride dropped clean down to her toes, and she never wanted anything in her life as much as to melt into a hole and die.

The magnificent red roses were surrounded by white baby’s breath, wrapped in green and silver ribbon just like her bridal bouquet.  A pretty gift bag hung from his fingers with her name written on the outside.  In his other hand he held the hand of the beautiful blonde – her best friend Sara, here to visit for a week and celebrate her birthday.  They had cooked up the surprise a month ago, and the work conference was held near the airport where she flew in.  All afternoon they had shopped to find the perfect dress, shoes, and earrings now wrapped in the gift bag.  Tickets for all three to a dinner theater were tucked in the flowers, and her birthday cake was in Sara’s hands.

What do you do when you find out that someone’s gossiping tongue has turned you into a complete fool?  Well, Claire thought later, you eat a lot of crow.  You hug your man and cry, and laugh, and tell him everything. If you’re lucky enough to have the best friend in the world nearby she jumps in to help you start cleaning up the mess you made; while the man you love uncorks a bottle of wine and pours you all a drink, then calmly puts the dresser drawers back in place, all the while suggesting wacky ways to redecorate so the landlady doesn’t see the hole in the wall.  You clean up the bad smells and disappointments and get dressed for dinner.  And you find out that crow, after all, can be pretty good soul food.