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Ali resisted the urge to find out if her daughter had taken advantage of Adam’s offer before now and decided she probably had For Jazmine, it was as if the sun rose and set on Peter’s friend Lieutenant Commander Adam Kennedy had been a support to both of them since the accident that had abruptly taken Peter out of their lives

It sounded so cut and dried to say a computer had malfunctioned aboard Peter’s F/A-18 He hadn’t had a chance to recover before the jet slaround He’d died instantly, his life snuffed out inyears, and every day since, Peter had been with her Her first thought was always of hie was the last one her ht He was part of her She saw him in Jazmine’s sirl’s eyebrohen she frowned Peter had done that, too And their eyes were the exact sareen

As an SMO, or senior medical officer, Ali was familiar with death What she didn’t knoas how to deal with the afterled and, as a result, she understood her sister’s pain Yes, Shana’s breakup with Brad was different, and of a lesserher relationship with hi up a dream, one she’d held and cherished for five years She was adjusting to a new version of her life and her future Shana had flippantly disrets about the breakup Those would come later, like a sneak attack--probably when Shana least expected it They had with Ali

"Mom," Jazmine cried, exasperated "Dial!"

"Oh, sorry," Alimachine came on al her She didn’t hide her disappointain as she threw herself backward onto the bed, aret in touch

"When do you think he’ll call?" Jazmine deet a chance to see him if it’s possible"

"Of course it’s possible," Jazged "He ht not be back by the time I need to fly out, but you’ll see him, don’t worry"

Jazmine wouldn’t look at her Instead she stared , as if she didn’t have a friend in the world The kid had ood sport about it, until now Ali didn’t bla she could do to change her orders

"You’ll love living with your aunt Shana," Alison said, trying a new tactic "Did I tell you she has an ice-cream parlor? How much fun is that?"

Jazmine wasn’t impressed "I don’t really know her"

"This will be your opportunity to bond"

Jazhed "I don’t want to bond with her"

"You will eventually," Ali said with forced brightness Jazlue, you know"

Alison held back a smile "We both need to make the best of this, Jazz I don’t want to leave you any hter scra position As her shoulders slumped, she nodded "I know"

"Your aunt Shana loves you"

"Yippee, skippy"

Alison tried again "The ice-cream parlor is directly across the street from the park"

"Yippee"

"Jazirl’s shoulders "The months will fly by You’ll see"

Jazmine shook her head "No, they won’t," she said adaain I hate that"

Changing schools, especially this late in the year, would be difficult In a feeeks, depending on the Seattle schedule, classes would be dismissed for the summer Ali kissed the top of Jaz her daughter was right The next six months wouldn’t fly, they’d crawl For all three of theht But she’d assumed she’d take on the role of motherhood the way everyone else did She’d start with an infant and sort of grow into it--ease into being a parent gradually, learning as she went Instead, she was about to get a crash course She wondered if there wereher living rooh to check out the spare bedroo touches for Jazmine’s benefit and hoped the stuffed teddy bear would appeal to her niece Girls of any age liked stuffed ani shade of pink with big white daisies, was new, as was the nize that she was trying toto irl wouldabout it