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"I didn’t know you drank martinis," he said

"I haven’t had toothat This has ot hiot better for him He’s tired, that’s obvious, and he’s still a little wacky, but he isn’t as confused You’re working late tonight?" she asked

"I have to repay all those favors The past few days everyone else has been staying late Besides" His voice trailed off "So, what’s on for you tohed "Without you here, work fills up the ti to be back soon Too to Pax and Genevieve’s for dinner and to see the girls The next day we have a doctor’s appoint session with a specialist And then it begins--tests and that sort of thing I’ll keep you posted"

"Lainebe good to yourself"

"What will you do tonight?" she asked hiht use your co for parts for the GTO Maybe I’ll watch TV"

He didn’t watch ive yourself some leisure tiet a lot done, the days until you’re hooing to hang up before Pax coned off with endearrowing up, this room had been off-limits This here her father worked on patient charts, researched, called his patients to check on theiver of sorts Sitting in his space, trying to unwind from a stressful day

Pax returned to the study and went behind the bar to fix hiers of Scotch "You mellowed out?" he asked her

"Um, yeah Was he comfortable in his own room?"

"Seems to be," Pax said He sat down in the opposite chair and crossed a leg over his knee "What about you? How are you doing?"

"I couldn’t be ers in s around in there All my life, since I was just little, I wanted my father to love me, to be proud of me, to approve of me Then one day he tells me he’s always been proud of me, that he’s in awe of me but was too afraid to praiseAll the while he was holding back his approval, I was trying harder and harder to earn it by taking more and more chances He just wantedhiht when he adhed "So here I aed for At quite a price"

"You’re not an only child, you know," he said

"But you’re rational," she said "You’re not dealing with this conflict--Senior has always approved of you You’re not still aching for a little of his affection Not only that--you have a fa fellowship on your plate, and Genevieve says the doctor who’s taken you on is a real dick"

Pax laughed "I knew about that going in He’s a brilliant dick I wanted a nicer guy to work for but this one--he can teach s no one else can This situation with Senior can be ed, Laine I can tell in fifteen h for an Alzheimer’s facility so we can check out home health care Genevieve has already collected naht on it I don’t want you tied to this proble--this e to Boston?"

"He’s been incredibly supportive It’s all fake, but I’ll take it He hated seeingpeople, remember He wants o home And I also want this one chance with my father before it’s too late I make no sense"

Pax leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees, his drink in one hand "It’s always been like this with you All or nothing You don’t fall in love till you’re practically over the hill and when you do, bam! You’re all in You hate your father most of your life because he can be such an insensitive jerk and now that he needs you, you’re ready to dedicate your life to hiet this under control so you can have your life back"

He was so right, she thought She had such a hard ti one step at a time She wasn’t sure how to do this But all she said was "I feel like I just found oal that everyone gets what they need Even you"