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"Thank you" She definitely could use a friend todayfrom her shoulder, Julia rushed inside and swooped over for a quick hug, already lighting toward the closest chair before Rena could blink

The leggy blond plopped into a seat beside the bed, one foot tucked under her, casually, just like her unassu jean overalls "Are you okay? Really? It scaredand heard what happened Iup Chris’s car at the shop, talking about the guest speaker for tonight’s "

"I’m fine Really Just achy and shaken, but okay I hope the led her hand "The speaker talked, but who could listen? We orried"

A regular at the base support group s for parents of special-needs children, Julia attended because her son had been born with Down syndroed a friendship with Julia that went beyond their husbands’ shared profession

The friendship between the to Julia waited with Rena for news about JT Heaven only knehat it had cost the woht, since Julia had lost her first husband to a crash

Rena’s fingers clenched around the sterile white blanket She could never repay the gift of her co presence Of course, Julia insisted friendship was priceless

"Oh, before I forget" Julia leaned to scoop her oversize canvas bag froed inside She pulled out a le "Present for you"

"You didn’t need to do this But thank you"

Julia’s blue eyes twinkled as she thrust the bag forward "Open it"

Rena grasped the top The bag clanked and she tucked a cradling palm underneath before she peeked inside to find… "Nail polish?" Lots of it In a rainbow assortment of colors "How fun!"

And unusual, but then Julia Daas one of the ly unconventional people she’d been blessed with knowing

"Soon you won’t be able to see your toes" Julia wriggled her toes in her Birkenstocks, blue sparkly nails glinting "So youclanked to Rena’s lap "Word got around about aphone Half the squadron’s out there checking up on you and congratulating Tag"

Great Just what she needed, htful"

"Are you sure nothing’s wrong?" Julia straightened, her sandaled foot swinging from under her to the floor "Should I call the nurse?"

"No need I’ up well Although he’s worried about you, too, and driving the police crazy with his push forout the accident They’re convinced it was probably a drunk driver"

"Hmm" That explained why JT hadn’t been in to see her yet His absence hurt rateful for the temporary reprieve

"I hadn’t told him about the baby yet," Rena blurted Why had she spilled that? At least Julia could be trusted not to gossip

"Oh no"

"Oh yes"

"Men don’t like secrets"

Rena knotted her fingers tighter in the blanket "Nope"

Julia looked down and away, fidgeted with an arrangeht since you were pregnant that meant you two had reconciled"

"Brief reunion when he returned fro "--here I am A knocked-up forty-year-old"

Julia abandoned the flowers and leaned in for another hug, held tight for an extra s aren’t happier for you right now"

Rena fought the sting of tears that couldn’t be totally attributed to hor to want to come home because of this"

Julia eased back "And you don’t want that?"

"Things were bad before Hoill they et better when I know he’s only there because I’h" Julia and her current husband had in fact es, both finding single parenthood overwhel And somehow they’d discovered love Except they’d been friends first, with coe of convenience had started with no such foundation

Still, the woed Rena’s resolve So ht a baby into the world Did she even have the energy to chase a toddler around the house again? And late-night feedings for a newborn It had all been hard enough even with JT’s help

She couldn’t actually be considering…