"Mmmmph."25-year-old Elizabeth Wakefield-Watts mumbled.

Slowly she opened her eyes.She glanced at her husband,Tom Watts's side of the bed.No one there.

"Tom?" Elizabeth mumbled. Then she remembered. Her husband had gone to Denver to work on a human-interest story that night on a plane. She checked her clock. 3:00. Even though she was irritated and sleepy, she could not help but smile at the picture of their wedding day the year before. She yawned, then padded over to theliving room of their 3-room-apartment in Sweet Valley,just a few blocks away from where her twin,Jessica,happily married to Nick Fox for 3 years and their 1-year-old son,Jonathan,lived.

RINNNNGGGGGGGG!!!The phone rang again,more insistently this time.

"All right,all right.I'm there."Elizabeth said drowsily.

"Hello,Watts Residence." she muttered into the phone. She was so sleepy she didn't even think about plopping down onto the plush blue sofa behind her.

"Hello,"an unfamiliar male voice said."Mrs.Watts,please."

"Speaking."she replied."Who's this?"

"Lieutenant John Mason. Is this-"a pause,and a rustling of paper."Elizabeth Wakefield-Watts?"

"Yes,"Elizabeth repeated."What can I do for you?"

"Are you the wife of Tom Watts?"Lieutenant Mason asked.

"Yes!"Elizabeth responded through clenched teeth.

"Well,did he board plane number 607?"

"What is this?"Elizabeth demanded."A question and answer portion of a beauty contest?"

"Well,no.We called up to say that flight crashed." Mason's voice softened. "I'm sorry.There were no survivors."

"No."Elizabeth said. "This is a childish prank,and I do not like it one bit!"

"Ms.-Mrs.Watts,calm down this is true.I'm truly sorry." Mason's voice said gruffly. Then with the force of a slap-only ten times harder,the horrfying truth hit her. The lieutenent was not lying.

"No!"Elizabeth cried.Tears began to stream downhercheeks.

"I'm araid so."Mason said. He gave her the details-where his body was,and other things. Then he hung up.

Elizabeth dropped the phone. Her knees buckled,and she fell to the carpeted floor.She grabbed the phone and dialed the phone number of Jessica. It rang 4 times,then someone picked up.

"'llo?" came Nick Fox's voice. "N-Nick? Liz.Where's Jess?"Elizabeth's voice was soft and trembling.

"Gee,I dunno,Liz.Jess is sound asleep," Nick said.

"Please,Nick!PLease!"Elizabeth pleaded,more tears flowing down her paled cheeks.

"Well,Ok." There were muffled voices. "Jess?" Nick said softly,shaking his wife's slender shoulder.

"Mmmmph."Jessica turned around to face Nick,careful not to wake Jonathan.

"What?"She hissed.

Nick leaned down to kiss her."Liz is on the phone.She sounds upset." He whispered,reaching over and scooping up Jonathan.Nick rocked him gently,stroking his soft blond hair.

"Okay."Jessica whispered.She stood up and walkedtothe phone. "Liz?"

"Jessica, omigod."Elizabeth began to cry loudly.

"What happened,Liz?"Jessica asked,concerned.

"Tom. Tom's plane crashed."Elizabeth sobbed."Jessica,please come over."

"I'm already there."Jessica replied. She hung up. Elizabeth had been there for her when Nick was supposedly dead,(thank God that was over!)and now it's payback time.

"What was it Jess?" Nick asked in concern. He gently put Jonathan down.

"Tom's plane crashed." Jessica murmured. Nick'sbeautiful green eyes bugged out.

"I'm going to Liz's."Jessica shrugged on her coat.

"Alright.I'll stay with Jon," Nick replied.

"mm-hmmm."Jessica kissed Nick softly on the cheeks. "Later."

Elizabeth hiccuped and gasped for air."I need to go out," she said.

She stumbled to the door,only to crash into Todd Wilkins, her ex who lived next door in a 2 room apartment.Tom never did like that fact.

"Todd,what are you doing here?"Elizabeth hiccuped.

"I heard a cry. Hey,Liz,why are you sobbing?"Todd's eyes narrowed in concern.

"Tom's dead.His plane crashed."Elizabeth sobbed.

Todd's jaw dropped."C'mere."He held out his muscular arms.

Elizabeth leaned onto his chest,not caring she was in the arms of her single ex,whom she did not know that he still loved her.