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"Do you want help upstairs?" Claire asked

"I want to recover right here The vieill be different Besides, I don’t think I could make it up the stairs"

"I could help," Claire told her, trying not to sound doubtful She had a sudden iround

"Let’s not" She looked at Claire "I’m sorry you’re stuck here"

Claire sat in the chair across from the sofa "I’m not stuck and I’m happy to help This is why I came here in the first place"

"At soularly scheduled life"

"Maybe" Probably "But not this week You’re stuck with me"

"I’d be lost without you," Nicole said, then sniffed "Da moment in the hospital"

Claire smiled "We can have ain"

"I can handle it Are you saying you can’t?" Claire ree She doubted that had changed

"You’re baiting me"

"Uh-huh"

Nicole clenched her teeth "I can handle it better than you Bring it on I’lad you’re here No one ever takes care of me"

"I’ll always be here when you need me"

Nicole’s eyes filled with tears She brushed the a little s "It’s okay I can deal with your elared at her "I should throw soet you?"

Nicole sniffed, wiped her eyes, then cleared her throat "Pizza and painkillers In that order"

"Shall we argue about hed "Let’s argue now"

WYATT FLIPPED OVER the waffle maker and set the automatic timer While Amy poured her own juice, he set out syrup, then turned over the vegetarian breakfast sausages she liked so much

He’d tried to explain that , not sohter could be stubborn He knew she got that from him so it was hard to ned when he glanced at her "I know all the words"

"You practiced a lot And last night you got all of the with theshe’d picked out a blue sweater to ith black jeans and boots She was growing up so fast It was just a hing heavily all the tiirl

The waffle ed He opened the top and used a fork to lift up the perfectly cooked waffle After setting it on the plate, next to the veggi-sausage, he passed it across the counter to the breakfast bar where she’d already settled

"Thanks, Dad," she signed

"You’re welconed back

She took a bite and chewed When she’d sed, she said "I want a cochlear implant"

He stared at her "What?" He shook his head "I understood the words" A cochlear implant?

He knehat ery That it wasn’t a substitute for hearing, that it was very successful for what it was, that technology was always changing and that once done, it couldn’t be undone

He and Amy had only talked about it a few times, mostly when one of her friends had it done He’d explained why he thought it was a better idea to wait until she was older Maybe there would be another leap in technology

"Why now?" he asked

"I want to hear Claire’s pretty , which was faster for her "I didn’tI wanted to hear that much But I want to hear her play"

Claire had done this? He’d talked to her about the surgery and had explained why it wasn’t a good idea and she’d talked to Amy anyway?

"Daddy, are you hter "I’ I think we should wait"

"It’s ned back "It should be otten the coht You don’t get to decide about surgery"

"You don’t understand, Daddy You can’t"

Ouch Now she was shutting him out?

He wanted to tell her that he was the adult and he could make any decision he wanted But to what end? If Amy was serious about the implant, for whatever reason, they would have to deal with it But fighting wasn’t going to help

He gave himself the standard "I am the parent," lecture, the one that reminded him to stay in control of his eo to school I need to think about this Let’s talk later"

She scowled, then nodded slowly

Nothis fist through a wall Not actually a hter, then called his office to say he would be late It took hi which he allowed his te out of the car

He walked up to the front door and rang the bell Claire answered

"We need to talk," he said, pushing past her into the house "Now"

"Yes, of course it’s not too early," she told hinized that he’d barged in, but he didn’t care "Sleeping with hter’s head It doesn’t give you access to either of our lives Is that clear?"

"Perfectly, but I have no idea what you’re talking about And while we’re on the subject, you askedas a favor I believe that means you handed me access to her life, if not yours Nohat is your problem?"