"Timer up, remove lasagna," Alexa proclaimed.

Merle Douglas put on her oven mitts and removed her specialty from the oven, chicken lasagna primavera. It was packed with chicken mince, ricotta, spinach, tomatoes, and cheese. Everyone who tasted it loved it.

She placed it on the kitchen table and then covered the serving dish with aluminum foil. She left it there as she finished getting dressed. She was already wearing her black A-line knee-length dress with a V-neck. Now she had to accessorize with jewelry and a blazer.

Merle was a woman in her fifties who sported an angled bob haircut with a slight wave at the end. She may have been in her fifties, but she also had a youthful exuberance that made her fun to be around. In her room, she found a nice chain of pearls. They were long enough to wrap around her neck twice. a gold bracelet and pearl earrings to go with her necklace. She put them all on and then covered her face with some foundation and a little lipstick.

She slipped feet into brown shoes with a one-and-a-half-inch heel and a decorative gold chain across it, a white blazer with black polka dots, and a brown purse to match her shoes.

Merle returned to the kitchen to get the lasagna that had cooled.

"Where are you going?" Peter asked.

Peter and Merle had been married for over thirty years. They had raised 3 children together, all of which had started their own families.

"I told you. I'm playing cards when the women."

"With a lasagna?"

"It's my turn to bring the main course."

"No one brings food you and the woman play here."

"Yes, they do. You just haven't noticed."

"Whatever. When will you be back home."

"Close to midnight, I suppose. You don't have to wait up."

Merle carried the lasagna to the car, secured it in front of the passenger seat so nothing would happen to it. She knew college boys could always use a good home-cooked meal. She drove off.