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The sad reality was that after many temporary fixes, her car was dead There was no possibility of reviving it The junkyard had offered her a flat hundred bucks and she took it That hundred dollars, however, wasn’t going to provide reliable transportation Her only recourse was to ask for a loan--and the only person she could approach was her sister, Teri

With a knot in her stomach, Christie made the call Teri answered so quickly, shenext to the phone

"Can you talk?" she asked, trying to keep any hint of anxiety out of her voice

"Sure What’s up?"

"I’d rather do this face-to-face," Christie told her She felt like weeping, which was an anoive in to eenerally it took a crisis like having her bank account emptied by some low-life scum she’d been convinced she could reform She’d wept buckets over that, and her divorce, too What upset her this time was the fact that it wasn’t a man but a stupid car

"Come on by," Teri said "I’d love the company"

"That’s…the problem I don’t have a car"

"What happened?"

Christie didn’t want to go into all of that now "Has Bobby hired a new driver?"

"Not yet Bobby’s positive James will return I--"

"Please don’t talk about Jah to make her stomach tense

"Okay, if that’s the way you want it"

"Ido"

"Take a taxi to the house and I’ll pay for it"

Although Christie appreciated the offer, she refused to do that "I’ll take the bus"

"Christie, don’t be silly"

"It’s no probleularly this tiet you "

Christie wasn’t surprised Teri was due in May, although with triplets she’d probably deliver early "When did he say you couldn’t drive?"

"At my last visit Doc wants to play it safe Okay, I know it’s for a good reason, but I have to tell you I’ around the house I could definitely use a distraction"

"I’ll be there as soon as I can"

"Grab a taxi," Teri insisted again

"I’ll think about it" Actually, Christie already had and she’d dis to Teri for a loan as it was and she didn’t want her sister having to open her wallet for cab fare before they’d even begun the conversation And no as she spending fifteen hard-won dollars herself if she didn’t have to

There was nothing wrong with the bus She would normally have considered it for transportation to her job, but she worked the early shift at Wal-Mart and the bus schedule was extre

The queasiness in her sto trek down Teri and Bobby’s driveway Walking to the house, she autoe and the apartment above it, where Ja

Jaht be deluding himself that his driver and best friend would return Best friend, now that was a joke Some friend Ja the bell, her nose had lost feeling Her winter jacket was little protection against the wind, which seeh her She kept her hands clenched in her pockets for warmth

"You’re frozen!" Teri shrieked when she saw her "I told you to take a cab"

Rather than start an argument, Christie conceded "Yeah, I should have"

"Come in, come in" Teri pulled her into the house and helped her off with her coat and gloves

Mutely Christie followed her sister into the kitchen and gladly accepted aof hot herbal tea The first sip burned all the way down her throat, but Christie didn’t care The taste and aro onto a stool at the breakfast bar, she braced her elbows there, clutching thewith both hands, as she considered the best approach to asking her sister for the loan This was even more difficult than she’d expected Itso hard to get her life on track Her credit had been ruined by yet another deadbeat she’d thought she could transforative one The guy had becoer jerk, and he’d ripped her off, to boot Why was it lessons like this had to be so painful, with consequences that lingered for years?

Teri see

"I took your advice," she said conversationally

Teri set heron the counter and clambered onto the stool directly across from her "What advice was that?"

"Rees in ned up for two courses at the coe in Bremerton"

"Really?" Teri seemed impressed

Actually, Christie was i around a college cahed "I ahed "Were we ever that young?"