 Retired school teacher, Miss Bristol, moves in down the hall from the Corbetts. The Corbetts and Miss Bristol soon become fast friends. Well meaning in her actions, she individually tells both Eddie and Tom that they spend too much time together, implying to each that perhaps the reason being that the other feels dependent upon the other, rather than the want really to spend the time together. Miss Bristol says so since she thinks that Eddie preoccupying Tom s time prevents Tom from meeting and spending time with women - potential mothers for Eddie - and Tom preoccupying Eddie s time prevents Eddie from developing meaningful friendships with children his own age. Both Tom and Eddie tell each other that they have other things to do that prevent them from spending time together, but they both are lying and end up being miserable in the process. Mrs. Livingston and Tom discover that Eddie s supposed new preoccupation is fabricated, after which Tom and Eddie have a heart to heart about what they really want, which is to spend time with each other. Tom is angry at Miss Bristol s meddling in their lives and he is going to tell her so. She appreciates Tom s candor and is happy that she was wrong about Tom and Eddie s relationship.