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"Gloria?" Chad asked "What’s wrong?"

She closed her eyes, trying not to vo any with Chad, she’d been tense all day As a result she hadn’t eaten

"You’re pale Do you want to sit down?"

"No" She dashed to the wo open the stall door, she barely made it inside Bent over the toilet, she lost the juice she’d ed to drink

When she finished, she turned to discover Chad waiting for her by the sink, holding a wet paper towel "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, sorry I didn’t expect that I should’ve known" She wiped herinto women’s restroo whatever he’d been about to say "Let et you home"

She obediently followed him out of the restaurant Her apartment was close to the library and near the waterfront Chad had been there often enough not to need directions

"I won’t stay long," he said when she’d unlocked the door

After she’d rinsed out her ain they sat on the sofa, he at one end and she at the other

"Does that happen often?" he asked

"Not anyuess" She didn’t explain what she’d been nervous about, but he obviously understood

"I haven’t slept well for several nights either," Chad confessed

"We’re a sad case, aren’t we?" she whispered It seemed the only place they’d ever been able to co today?" Chad asked

"No I took personal leave What about you?"

"I have Thursdays off"

Thatfor this afternoon

She tried to hide a yawn She didn’t succeed and he responded with a yawn of his own They looked at each other and smiled

Chad stood "I’ll leave and you can nap"

Suddenly she didn’t want hio But she knew instinctively that if she asked hiot up, too, and reached for his hand He frowned as she led hi when he saw her bedroo me?" Then he answered his own question "Your bed?" He inhaled sharply and said, "I hope you reot us into this mess"

"It isn’t what you think"

"What, then?"

"A nap All I want you to do is holdmore We’re both tired and stressed I want us to sleep Once we do, we’ll be able to talk and make the decisions we need to make"

He stood next to her bed "You’re sure this is what you want?"

"Sleep, Chad That’s all Understand?"

"No," he muttered "But then I’ve never been able to understand you"

"Do you want to leave?"

"No," he said "In fact, I’ht impossible to walk away"

"Good" She folded back the covers, re onto her side, she turned her back to him and closed her eyes It took Chad several minutes to join her He climbed into the bed, fully dressed, and cuddled her spoon fashion After a ainst her stomach

"The baby just moved"

Gloria s to play soccer, I think"

"And baseball"

"We’ll see Now close your eyes and nap"

It wasn’t long before she heard the deep, even ru, which told her he was asleep Tired though she was, Gloria stayed awake

She’d acknowledged it herself--they’d only ever been able to communicate in bed Now that they had decisions to make, this seemed the best place for that to happen

Twenty-Five

"Olivia, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be in my own hole Crest Avenue The kitchen had been coed a look with her brother She had reservations about herhere, but when she’d broached the subject of , Charlotte had instantly rejected the idea Ben hadn’t been keen on it, either, auto it as "too expensive"

So far, none of the places she and Will had checked out had any apartments available, but they’d put their na appropriate came up, Charlotte and Ben would be ready to consider it Like it or not, eventually they’d have to leave this house Probably before another year was up