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"Well Hello," she said

"Oh, shit," he said "Look, it gets a little tense soood I’m a hundred percent Seriously"

"Pack it up, junior You’re uneht Go for it Deny away Oh, by the way, did ent?"

"Fuck"

"It could’ve been worse," she said "I could be DEA Lucky for you I don’t give a rip about your drug habit as long as you don’t work in hoive in to temptation and beat you up Loser"

He disappeared pretty fast, but Laine lost the tough act and sank to one of the benches outside the study doors Another one, gone She’d been here alh six aides There was one orking out--Carl He was fifty-six and had done this work for years, cahly recommended and from what she could observe he did an excellent job She’d asked hihly were otherwise engaged He was , worth every penny But they needed two attendants At least She couldn’t leave her father until he was covered 24/7

Although she was feeling very sorry for herself she knew she should be grateful Her father was lucky He had enough e What was she thinking? She was lucky! What would she do if there was no ht now she was the only caretaker

Laine entered the house Mrs Mulligreas in the kitchen, giving it a good cleaning, but Laine couldn’t find Senior Laine had lost her father In the house!

She could hear hi for his wife, for Janice, but she couldn’t find hi, "Dad? Where are you, Dad?" And just when she’d start to get closer, he’d be quiet She had to enlist Mrs Mulligrew’s help and the two of thee, three-story, six-thousand-square-foot house Laine wondered, who do you call when this happens? Do you dial 911? But he was here, so out, softly "Janice? Janice?"

She called louder and louder, so afraid that he ht hurt himself before she found him She looked in closets, under beds, behind furniture, in the wine cellar and attic, her pulse racing Then Mrs Mulligrew said, "Shhhh NoHe’s afraid"

So they prowled around, straining for a sound It took an hour before they found hiuest rooot to?" he asked "I could hear her but couldn’t find her I think she’s sick Is she sick?"

"Oh, Dad, I think you took ten years off my life!"

The three of them sat at the kitchen table and had a cup of tea and Laine’s hands shook so much she could barely lift her cup She’d been in life-threatening situations without this

She called Eric three times that day; called Pax and Genevieve twice But all her conversations were on the fly--keeping tabs on her father at all times It seemed an eternity before he laid down for a nap She settled into Senior’s den and fired up his co on to check her email There was a note from Devon and she read it Devon asked after Laine’s faave a little local news--it sounded so boring! Laine felt tears sting her eyes--she so longed for that life again She missed Eric desperately; she ht without interruption, without getting up three or four ti And then Devon asked, Spencer and I are getting et aith it Will you be back in July? Will you be my maid of honor?

And Laine put her head down on the desk and sobbed She hadn’t cried like this since she was in high school Not even when her mother passed away did she feel emotion this intense, this final

"Hey, hey, hey," Genevieve said from the doorway "Lainie, Lainie"

She lifted her head and wiped at her eyes "Sorry," she ain

Genevieve cae of the desk "He ht now!"

"Yes, I know But Gen, he’s going to be like this for years I thought I could ements for him, be sure he’s safe and cared for and then I could" More tears flowed "I’, you will If necessary, we’ll find a safe and coets everything he needs"

She was shaking her head "At least eighty percent of the tis me not to put him in a home! How can I do that just so I can see the view, be with rabbed a tissue and blew her nose "I can’t give up on hi so hard"

"Laine, we’re not going to let you give up your life for this We’ll find a way"

"Good luck with that I could never leave hiivers who lose track of hirab a joint!" She bit a tre lip "Sometimes he’s so scared"

Genevieve stroked her shoulder "Listen to me Most families make do with far fewer resources than we have If you weren’t here, ould Pax and I do? I i over here twice a day Laine, this is terrific of you, but we do have to be realistic Your parents kept your grandmother until it became impossible for them to work and raise a family with a patient in need of so much care and supervision in the house There comes a time"

She nodded bravely "I know But that time isn’t here yet He needs me Someone has to be here, if not to watch hiivers!"

"You’re so tired," Genevieve said "I’ to stay with you until you’ve had a nap We’re going to talk about this e’re not all so afraid to do the wrong thing"

"What about the girls? Don’t you have to pick them up from school?"

"I’ll call my sister We help each other out with our kids e can Now come on, you need a break I think you’re just overwhel to see how hopeless this is I just can’t see the end"