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"You’re not old, Gram, and once your vision’s restored to what it can be, you’ll be as active as ever Not being able to see has gotten in your way You would’ve gone on the cruise to Victoria with Helen and Winifred, you know you would have, if you hadn’t felt unco the trip fro to read signs in airports, and finding your way in unfamiliar places in what felt like darkness…don’t you think that influenced your decision not to go?"
"I don’t know, Elizabeth Since Granddad died, everything’s been difficult"
"Of course it has, Clara," Nick said "The loss is immense But that’s all the more reason to fix what can be fixed"
"The two of you spent the afternoon rehearsing your pitch, didn’t you? I feel like I’m in the middle of one of those interventions"
Elizabeth s? If not, we have reams of information downloaded from the Internet that we’re prepared to read aloud to you"
"You’re dear things, both of you And I’rateful for your concern But--"
"You could at least have an ophthal your eyes checked is a good idea"
"I’ery if so along fine I see the two of you quite well And you’re both gorgeous"
"Just think how eous we’d be, Gram, not to mention how colorful"
"Nice try, Elizabeth But it’s really my decision, isn’t it?"
"Entirely your decision," Nick said "Just promise us that you’ll consider it"
"I pro else?"
An hour later, Nick announced he was going ho project that would co day
Elizabeth walked him to the porch
"What do you think?"
"That she’s her granddaughter’s grandumentative?"
Nick smiled "Deterue at the saive it soh, it’s her decision"
"You’re the ht But we can’ther is likely to backfire" Elizabeth sighed "You’re probably thinking we shouldn’t s it up"
"And we don’t tell her about the appointment you made"
"No," he said "We don’t Not yet"
She admired the reasonableness of his approach When she shook her head, it ith resignation, not protest But her e a strand of auburn hair froed, behind her ear, into her eyes
As she reached up to tuck it away, another hand moved to touch it--touch her--too
Her hand was quicker Impatient She watched his hand, as if in slow motion, drop away
By the time she looked up, it was too late to tell what expression had accoesture
It was just as well, she told herself after they’d said good-night Gra too much
Nick was a sensual man He undoubtedly touched women, casually, all the time And he was polite Chivalrous He’d brush a lock of hair from a woman’s eyes as reflexively as he’d open a door for her
SheAnd coht
The sanding of teal-colored paint, to create a pastel canvas for the cream that would cover it, was hard work, hot work, even in the
Elizabeth appeared, at 9:00 alass of lemonade
"Thanks," Nick said
"You’re welcome Gram probably has a cooler somewhere We could fill it with ice and a few pitchers of lemonade, and you could--"
"I prefer this" You Nick raised the glass in a silent toast and met her eyes over its frosted rim "If you don’t mind"
"I don’tsince breakfast?"
"I’ve been scanning She’s been puttering"
"And?"
"The scanning’s going to work It’ll take time, but I have tiood news"
"Clara hasn’t ht"
"No"
"Are you surprised?"
"Not really But I’ve been watching her And you’re right The inificant And that’s fro in I keep thinking what it h prisht"
"She’s thinking about it, too"
Elizabeth nodded, and frowned "I lay awake last night worrying What if she decides not to do anything? She could get in an accident, Nick Even in broad daylight on a fah And if she injured soive herself"
"We’re not going to let that happen, Elizabeth Noidle in Nick’s reassurance It was a quiet proreed"
After a moment, he smiled "I could use another one of these in forty-five minutes or so"
"You’ll have it," Elizabeth said as she took the e up"