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Her ht to the land of poetic fruit loops

Gri and cas had been written on a piece of floral stationery and left on the counter for her to transcribe to the board A s she was looking it over, a cup of tea, stea off the liquid, was placed at her elbow I think a chareen blend for energy A square of chocolate was placed next to the cup by long, elegant fingers, graced by a silver wedding band etched with Japanese characters A nd this, for pure indulgence

Chloe looked up into the face of the tea roouerite Winterman Tall, beautiful and as reend was the way most would describe her precise features, moonlit hair and pale blue eyes Chloe and Gen both knew her well enough to call her friend

She was er on it, but though there was not a great distance in their ages, Marguerite possessed qualities she ned to a favorite but strict teacher, a tribal chieftain or temple priestess, with Gen and Chloe as her acolytes

Chloe didnt resist authority or rebel against it; she just flowed around it like a cheerful brook, integrating it in her bubbling froth But there was no going around Marguerite, which hy Chloe knew shed needed ers drifted to Chloes face, tipped up her chin

Why are you here today? she asked quietly

Because I dont knohere else to go, Chloe almost said The person she used to be had plenty of casual friends On any given week she ht head off to a hike in the ear for a heavya table for a charity event in one of Tampas many parks But shed cut herself off fro theyd do so Shed tried participating in her usual activities, but felt more and ht things, but came ho totally detached and pretending not to be

A s a result, during the past few , other than putter around her house, sit on the back porch and stare into space or nap, with St Frances curled in her lap, an undeht

Sometimes she wished the work day would never end, that she could stay in a continual loop like one of those Twilight Zones where she could always be here, where she understood what she needed to do and who she needed to be Much like shed felt when kissing Brendan, not wanting to go back or forward

Shed been nervous the first day shed come back to work after her attack, since this here it had happened But Marguerites renovation of the tea roo ritual, because the second Chloe stepped back across the threshold, shed felt relief, a sense of ho, when she stepped into Brendans arms

I

She was dropped off Gen caaze didnt waver froaze You couldnt distance Marguerite or evade her when she wanted a straight answer, but offering a new variable that changed the nature of the question had an effect Did he stay the night with you?

Yep, that was Marguerite Direct Not exactly We stayed up late on the phone and he ca you houerite released her fro look, but slid the tea and chocolate closer

It was a really hot, tonsil-sucking kiss, Gen offered

It was not

It had those take- all the way across the porch You rapped around him like a monkey on a branch

Like souerites head whipped around as Gen froze Chloe put down the tea list with exaggerated care, the roaring in her ears a tsunami Sorry, she said faintly Ithats not what I meant

Not what I meant either, honey, Gen said softly Youre usually so uninhibited with your feelings, and I could tell you really like hiood to see