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"I'll be in my office if you need me Don't buy her a car or a horse while she's here"

"How about so small?"

"Normally I'd say fine, but with you s of a Girlfriend Hour tote bag"

"Perfect"

Tully smiled up at him "You're my producer You have to say I'm perfect"

He stared down at her "The whole world thinks you're perfect"

A lot of years were suddenly between them, conversations and moments and opportunities she'd walked away froer knew hih they worked together every day, they were always surrounded by people and focused on work On the weekends, when she went to his house, he was Katie's husband, and Tully kept her distance

He didn't move, didn't s her shter I have Lindsay Lohan in the green rooht Wednesday in the first full week of September, Kate stood on the sidewalk outside of Ordway Ele lot, which onlyup to the curb and cars--h the carpool lane, was now e and fallen silent; the principal had gone back inside the squat, low-roofed brick building to start his day Directly overhead, two flags flapped in the early autu?" Tully tried to sound reassuring, but her voice was too honest for that There was the hter behind the words

"Bite me, and I mean that in the nicest possible way"

"Colanced at theat the far end of the school "One of thearten, not open-heart surgery, and you've got things to do"

Kate sighed, wiping her eyes "I know it's stupid"

Tully squeezed her hand "It's not stupid I remember my first day of school I was so jealous of the kids who hadhere for me today I kno hard it is for you to leave the studio"

"My producer gave me the day off," she said with a smile "I think he has the hots for ether, they walked down the tree-lined sidewalk to their parking spot Kate climbed into the driver's seat of her new blue SUV and started up the engine

Tully immediately leaned forward in her own seat and popped a CD into the stereo Rick Springfield's voice blared through the speakers, singing "Jessie's Girl"

Kate laughed By the time they'd driven out of the school lot, stopped at the coffee stand drive-through for their lattes, and arrived back home, she definitely felt better

In herroom, she collapsed into Johnny's favorite overstuffed chair and put her feet up on the otto?"

"In the ridiculous three hours we have, not likely You should have put theram"

Kate had heard it before "I'm well aware of your opinion on that I happen to like my kids around me"

"Actually, I have a better plan, anyway" Tully flopped down on the sofa "We're going to talk about your writing"

Kate al?"

"You always said you were going to start writing again when the boys were in school"

"Give me some time, will you? They just started Let's talk about the show instead Johnny tells h your feeble tactics You think I'll forget everything else if you talk about me"

"It's usually true"

"Touché So, ill you write about?"

Kate felt exposed suddenly "It's an old drea old, so it's perfect"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a coldhearted bitch?"

"Only the men who date me Come on, Katie Talk to me I see how tired you are all the tithat Kate would have expected; that Tully, as on top of the world as she ould notice her depression At the realization, the fight went out of her In truth, she was exhausted lately by the pretense, anyway "It's more than just that I feellost What I have should be enough, but so I do is wrong I love her so much and she treats e"

"That excuse is wearing a little thin Maybe I should let her take theclass she's so jazzed about I just hate to think of her in a world like that"

"PS: We're talking about you, here," Tully said "Look, Katie, I don't knohat you're going through, but I know about wantingthat will complete you"

"Says the woman who has to borrow my family when she needs one"

Tully smiled "We're quite a pair, aren't we?"