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"You’re not…?" Bailey gestured to the wheelchair

"Oh no I just teach in the chair because they’re elderly Plus they’re all--" She broke off to look around andat theer around her ear, the universal sign for crazy "But very sweet, each of them Well, except Tony Don’t turn your back on hiot octopus hands Anyway, they don’t all need the chairs but I insist because sometimes they fall asleep and it’s less disruptive to the class to have them just nod off rather than fall over The domino effect isn’t pretty Follow me"

Bailey followed her to a room at the end of the hall--a patient room There, Carrie kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed

She was a patient here

"Whew," Carrie said "Nap tie project"

Bailey looked around, more than a little confused "You’re the publicist for Cedar Ridge Resort?"

"Actually…" Carrie paused "‘Publicist’ ht word"

Oh boy Knees weak, Bailey sank into the guest chair facing the bed "And ould be the right word exactly?"

"Moe is fah few years for the resort and the Kincaids We need a boost"

"Rough?" Bailey asked

"Yes" Carrie rubbed her temple "The details don’t matter What does matter is family Mes than a big picture to share with the world"

"Thepic to depict our favorite memories to share with everyone"

"Okay," Bailey said, thinking of her own personal favorite pic, one she kept as her wallpaper on her phone It was herself, her randet that It’s a memory that can’t be erased with ti all its files" Eyes suddenly suspiciously shiny, she knocked on the side of her own head "Like aze and felt her heart squeeze

"And I think the people who ski at Cedar Ridge would love it," Carrie said "A family-run resort like this one needs a centerpiece that people can talk about So other than the fact that the ed the resort to its eyeballs, couldn’t keep it in his pants, and vanished on his kids"

Bailey felt her eyebrows raise She hadn’t heard this story

Carrie reached for a small framed picture on her bed tray and handed it to Bailey

It was of two boys, ht years old Identical twins "My boys," Carrie said with clear adoration "Hud just gave this to me for es of each other Hud’s right-handed and Jacob’s left-handed Hud’s cowlick swirl on his head is clockwise, Jacob’s counterclockwise You ever hear of such a thing?"

Bailey shook her head She knew next to nothing about being a mom, much less twins

Carrie smiled but it faded quickly "For all their similarities, my boys couldn’t be more different Hud alanted to travel the world and experience new things Jacob’s a homebody But they’re two peas in a pod in so many ways They never even had to use words with each other"

Past tense, Bailey thought