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He sighed and nodded "We'll go into the family room"

Mrs M stood up slowly

Tully was struck by how ed The wo her hair and it was snohite "Katie called you?" Mrs M said

"I caht away," she said, as if speed mattered now, after all this ti: she hugged Tully, enveloped her once again in an embrace that sarettes, with just a hint of hairspray to give it spice

"Co the way to another room Inside there was a sht molded plastic chairs

Johnny and Mrs M sat down

Tully re second was a turn of the screw "Tell me"

"Kate has cancer," Johnny said "It's called inflammatory breast cancer"

Tully had to concentrate on each breath to reet radiation and cheht--"

"She's already had all of that," he said gently

"What? When?"

"She called you several e she'd never heard before "She wanted to have you at the hospital with her You didn't return her call"

Tully ree, word for word I can't believe you haven't called to apologize toto this? Tully? And the click Had soone out or the tape hit its end?

"She didn't say anything about being sick," Tully said

"She called," Mrs M said

Tully felt tackled by guilt, overco Why hadn't she just picked up the phone? Now all that time had been lost "Oh, my God I should have--"

"None of that matters now," Mrs M said

Johnny nodded and went on "The cancer has ot her into the OR as quickly as possible, but once they were inside, they saw there was nothing they could do" His voice broke

Mrs M laid her hand on his "The cancer is in her brain now"

Tully thought she had known fear before--like on that Seattle street when she was ten years old, or when Katie had had herhad felt like this "Are you saying"

"She's dying," Mrs M said quietly

Tully shook her head, unable to think of what to say "W-where is she?" The question ca choppy and broken "I need to see her"

A look passed between Johnny and Mrs M

"What?" Tully said

"They're only allowing one person in at a tiet him"

As soon as Mrs M left, Johnny ht now, Tul Her faculties have been iood ood ?" Tully asked

"She ht not knoho you are"

The walk to Kate's rooest journey of Tully's life She felt people all around her, talking quietly a themselves, but never had she felt more alone Johnny led her to a doorway and stopped there

Tully nodded, trying to gather strength as she walked into the roo the door behind her, she reached for a smile, found one that was the best she could do under the circumstances, and went toward the bed, where her friend lay sleeping

Angled up to a near-sit, Kate looked like a broken doll against the stark white sheets and piled pillows She had no hair or eyebrows left, and her bald head was a pale oval that nearly disappeared against the pillowcase

"Kate?" Tully said quietly,forward The moment she heard her voice she winced It sounded too loud in this room, too alive somehow

Kate opened her eyes, and there was the woirl she'd sworn to be best friends with forever

Put your ar

How had it happened, after all their decades together, that they were estranged now? "I' how small the words were; all her life she'd hoarded those few and simple words, kept them tucked inside her heart as if to let them out would harm her Why, of all the lessons she should have learned from her mother, had she held on to this most hurtful one? And why hadn't she called when she'd heard Kate's voice on the answeringthe burn of tears

Kate didn't sive any indication of welcoy--as little and late as it was--seemed to have no effect "Please say you remember me"

Kate just stared up at her