in naming Bill as Kathy's accomplice. However, she still testifies at Kathy's trial, and her testimony is nearly damaging enough to send a pregnant Kathy to prison. This causes conflict in the marriages of Kathy and Dick and Laura and Richard, with Richard trying to be lenient to the young couple, but Laura trying to take pound-of-flesh against Kathy at every chance she can. The advertising agency fires Bill due to all of this, and he must deal with the demanding Bert trying to get him to find another job soon. Kathy is acquitted by the end of March 1953, when Joe discovers that another mechanic who had claimed he had repaired Bob Lang's car's brakes had not done so. Shortly after this, Meta, Joe, and Joey began to fade into supporting roles, as Kathy and Dick's romantic difficulties started to take center stage. Joe dies in his sleep, peacefully, on Christmas Eve 1955, and Meta has to begin again. Joe's funeral is the last time that Joey Roberts appears. Joey, who had never had problems with Meta and Joe's marriage, had since become a successful member of the Air Force and had moved away to Arizona with his wife, Lois. Joe's death unites Meta and Kathy into the mother-and-daughter team that Meta had hoped for from the beginning as both women console each other over the man both of them loved. Bill soon finds another job at an advertising agency, but it requires many hours and days away from his family and Selby Flats. Bert is thrilled when they can afford to buy the Hollywood Hills home formerly occupied by Ray and Charlotte Brandon. Papa moves out of Selby Flats and in with them, and Bert starts relying more on Papa's sage advice. She finally begins to feel like his daughter, which Papa had said for years she was to him. A young, slightly SORASed Michael becomes another issue. With Bill spending so much time alone, Michael starts feeling as though he has been abandoned by his father. He even started telling Bert and Papa that he has no father and that he had died. This dramatically hurts and confuses the two of them. Bert takes Michael to a child psychologist, despite Papa saying he has enough advice to help. The psychologist agrees with Papa that Michael is headed for many problems down the road, unless Bill spends more