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"You ith that man," Ella said

Uh huh, and there it was Mallory’s left eye began to twitch "That man has a nahtened "Yes, I believe The Facebook is calling hier to her twitching eye "Okay, for the last time, it’s not The Facebook, it’s just Facebook"

"Honey, please It’s ti to end up as wild and crazy as Joe and Tammy, and that’s not who you are"

"Mom, Joe is only twenty-four He’s not ready to settle down, so a little wild and crazy is okay And Tammy is settled down in her oild and crazy way Maybe it’s not what you wanted for her but she’s adjusted and happy What’s wrong with being like thehtened "That’s not what I reed quietly, her chest tight "That isn’t what youabout Karen"

"No, we’re not"

"Well, we should"

Her o"

"She started dating a guy no one knew"

"I don’t want to talk about this, Mallory!"

"He encouraged her to take a walk on the wild side, and--"

"Don’t," Ella said stiffly "Don’t you--"

"And she changed She stopped being who you thought she should be And--"

Her er pointed shakily in Mallory’s face "Don’t you dare say it"

"Moht throat, suddenly very tired "It’s not the same this tis"

"Your young man went to NA"

Mallory shook her head in disbelief "That’s confidential"

"It’s Lucky Harbor," Ella said with a shrug that said Ty’s privacy was nothing cohter was okay "Reht, when he ended up in the ER? He refused narcotics for pain Adamantly"

"So?"

"Don’t play du He’s an outsider, and I realize that sounds rude, but you’ve got to ad idea about you two"

Actually, given what she and Ty had been doing in the deep, dark of the night--and soht idea

Ella took one look at Mallory’s face and got a pinched look of tension "See? It’s happening It’s happening again, just like Karen with Tony"

"No," Mallory said firnant, and she spiraled doard I can’t believe we’re co my life to Karen’s now, after all these years Why not back then, when I was in danger of spiraling?"

Her mother looked as if Mallory had slapped her "You…you weren’t You were our rock"

Mallory let out a breath and shook her head, feeling weary to the bone And sad Way too daet it, Moht--you were so sweet during that tiht--Oh, Mallory I’ain?"

Mallory drew a shaky breath and stepped forward, putting her hands on her ain I’, fat elephant in the room "I’ed Mallory in tight "I know," she whispered Then, in the Quinn way of bucking up, she sniffed and pulled back to search her pockets, co up with a tissue that she used to swipe her eyes "You’re really okay?"

"Really," Mallory proh escaped Mallory "I’ to be a to liveto keep seeing that man?"

Lucille walked by in her candy-striper unifor you’ve dated since…well, ever"

"Don’t encourage her," Ella said "This isn’t just a silly thing It’s affecting her job"

"Phooey," Lucille said

"Jane is concerned about it affecting the HSC as well"

"Phooey," Lucille said again "And shairl here stops paying for others’ rets, don’t you think?"

Ella turned and looked at Mallory for a long beat, see she wasn’t fully supporting her own flesh and blood "I never wanted you to pay for our rets"

"Well, she has," Lucille said, brutally honest as always, though her voice was very kind She moved behind the nurses’ desk, poured Ella some coffee, pulled a flask fro that sasped "I’ out, and it’s time"

"Time for what?"

"Tis And speaking of wings," Lucille said to Mallory, "you’re going to need wings for your next patient, and she’s ready for you"

The new patient turned out to be Mrs Burland

"You," Mrs B said when Mallory entered her rooreed and reached for the blood pressure cuff "It says on your chart that you passed out after your bath again Did you take your ht time?"

"Well, of course I did I’m not a complete idiot They didn’t work"