He gave her a lopsided grin, “Wonder-woman, your wife.”

Tina wiped a tear from her eyes, and smiled back, “Yeah … she is amazing, isn’t she?”

“Well, so are you, Tina,” George answered, then reached over to squeeze her shoulder.

They fell quiet.

“So you think you need a change?” George asked, just as Kate rejoined them. The waiters came with their desserts and tea and coffee.

Tina answered, after they each took a bite from their desserts, “I need something, yes.”

”I feel like I need to spend more time with her, and with Angelica.”

”And that I want to do something else.”

George gave Kate a small smile, and then looked at Tina, as if to ask if he could fill her in. She nodded, as she drank her tea.

“Umm … this may come across as horrifically insensitive, Tina,” Kate said slowly after George was done.

Tina gave her a small smile.

“But you have to think about the practical aspects of this issue. Once you bail out of the carousel, you can be sure there’ll be 10 other people fighting to grab your spot on that ride,” Kate observed, pursing her lips. “And in today’s environment that could be even higher, so maybe 30 or 50 other people.”

George put down his dessert fork, protesting, “Oh, c’mon Kate! That is harsh. William will be hard-pressed to replace Tina! I bet he’ll fight to keep her on as a consultant or something.”

He picked up his fork and jabbed at his molten chocolate cake. He muttered, “The man doesn’t take a piss without checking with her first.”

Tina smiled ruefully at George, and rubbed his arm lightly. “Thanks for that, George, but she does have a point,” she said, transferring her smile to Kate after a few seconds. She saw a frown had crossed the other woman’s face.

After a minute, George leaned over to give Kate quick kiss, and then murmured something. He straightened up on his chair and looked back at Tina.

He asked, with a sympathetic smile, “So I hear your mom is responding well to the treatments?”

“Yes,” Tina answered , still thinking about Kate’s pointed reminder about the realities of today’s work place, and the ever-increasing pool of bright, talented people who’d be more than willing, or ecstatic even, to take her place.