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But she held out her hand for , but when I took her hand in mine a jolt shot up my arm and struck me in the center of my chest

I couldn’t pretend it away--I had it bad for Astrid Hey it

Caroline couldn’t s pills

She would put one in her mouth and take a sip of Gatorade, but then she’d sputter and spit the pill (and the Gatorade) into her hand It e mess in their bedroootta take it in jelly That’s what my nana always did!"

And she was off in a chubby flash, hurrying to the decih Mashed up in a teaspoon of jelly, Caroline could take the antibiotics It took us four teaspoons of jelly to get the two capsules down

Astrid and IRoom and set her on the couch

I told the other two they had to do a thorough wipe-doith baby wipes and change clothes They had dirty faces and s and coet clean, Astrid and I are going to clean out the Train," I told the has to be nice in the new House"

"A new House," Caroline repeated sleepily

We spent the next couple hours doing a complete overhaul of the Train Astrid helped me move the last divider into place

It really did feel like a House with a capital H--there was a kitchen area with shelves with food on the room area with the futon couches and the bookshelf and then there was the Train, with our bedroohted with the new House They helped Astrid stock the shelves facing in with nonperishable food; select toys, books and ga back, ars of cookies "Our House is a secret!"

Caroline stirred in her sleep and Astrid shushed Chloe

"She’s right," Henry added "It really looks like a secret Can we uise it?" Chloe asked

"What do you ap to look

It did look like "a secret" In the dark store, if you didn’t knohere to look, you ht not have known there was a House there at all The dividers made it look like a continuation of the Store’s walls Sort of At least in the dark, it looked that way

"See where the shelves are empty?" Chloe pointed "If we fill theed

"Then we just have to figure out how to build a wall up there" Henry pointed up

Over the top of the dividers, light caht wouldn’t coh

"That would be pretty impossible," I told hios!" he chirped

"We do have plenty of Legos," I conceded "Okay"

It would be good for the to do But I was kind of surprised to see him so happy

"Hey, Henry, aren’t you worried about Caroline?" I asked

He shrugged, his freckled face co better now," he told me

"Really, how do you know?"

"I can just feel," he said siet stuff to fill the shelves," Chloe entreated

The two clicked on their headlamps and skipped off into the darkness

I went back in through the gap

"Hey," I said to Astrid, s better"

I put htly cooler

"Really?" Astrid asked She bent over and felt Caroline’s head "Yeah, I think he’s right Wow, those pills work fast!" And she sht fro relief," I said, trying to play it cool

"I’ about Luna," I said "I have an idea"

I went over to one of the coolers we had set up

There was so in there

I took out a pack and sat on the ground near the couch

"Can dogs eat raw haer?" Astrid asked

"Oh yeah," I answered "They love it My uncle Dave has like four black Labs Most beautiful dogs I’ve ever seen He feeds theer and grated vegetables and flaxseed oil"

"Jeez, that sounds … horrible"

"You should never be a dog, then," I told her

"Duly noted" She laughed

I loved hearing her laugh

Okay, I could be her friend and I could irl," I called softly I stretched outforer Mmmmm … it’s so yuirl," I called

And slowly, Luna edged out toward the le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>