She had been drinking, though, so Lillian didn't hold it against her.
When the Fishers had gone that night Anna said that if she were Lillian she would never have Louise in her house again. Hymie Moss had enlarged on Anna's speech.
"If I were Lillian," he had said, "I'd never have any of us in my house again."
But Lillian was Lillian and they all met many, many more times in her apartment and each evening started out with Anna and Louise chatting pleasantly together.
Anna kept her job at the store and the Sullivans were able to meet their installment collections and their rent with ease. When they were a trifle short Hubert was willing to help; so Anna was proud to say that things were going very well indeed.
When winter came upon Inwood, Lillian gave Anna her last year's coat. It was blue velvet with fur trimming. Anna said that Cliff would have a fit about her wearing second-hand clothes but she didn't care, she liked the coat and she'd take it anyway. Cliff didn't have a fit. He said that it looked very well on Anna and that he didn't know what she would have done without it.
One night Lillian and Hubert escaped from the crowd and went downtown to see a show. It had been Lillian's suggestion. On the way home Hubert laughed and said, "Say, you know what? We've been together just one year today."
"You big stiff, did you just remember that?"
