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She remains exactly where she is, wide-eyed and confused

"There’s lots of roo with the re at the couch opposite hers

"Yes," I agree, "but you’ve got all the blankets"

I lift the faux chinchilla and sit down beside her, careful not to touch her, slipping off s beneathher posture We learned in our psych class that study after study has shown that subtly ihtens one’s chances of a successful interpersonal involvement Baby certainly appears to find the situation acceptable, since he quickly settles into the sulley that has forhts seem to really like you That’s nice They’re kind of nuts, but I think most fae, where I work, are I don’t think there’s any such thing as a normal family What does noraze on the TV She’s switching channels like no one’s business, seeh the Cartwrights have satellite and Tania’s already reached the 900s But she’s turned the sound dohich is a good sign

"It’s nice," I say, trying again, "that when you have your baby, she’ll have so ht be slightly questionable I’ve heard you can restrict how ht want to consider that Otherwise, I could see Nicole wanting to be there through the whole thing so she can gatherthe placenta--"

Tania finally cracks a saze away from the television screen "She wouldn’t"

"I’ht It’s hard to find words to rhye ‘It was the color hing Picking up a nearby throw pillow, she tosses it lightly atBaby to let out a tiny bark

I pick up the pillow and pretend to conk Tania over the head with it, then say, while Tania is still laughing and Baby is running around the faux chinchilla in excited circles, "So Do you want to tell h to try to poison you? Because I think you know"

Tania’s laughter abruptly dies She sinks back against the leather cushions and stares up at the TV screen, but it doesn’t see it

"I don’t," she says She’s wearing a filmy, multicolored dress, her shoulders bare, her hair loosely curling all over When she shakes her head, the curls tremble "I don’t know"

"Don’t lie toher posture, which is sluht "You can lie to everybody else, but you can’t lie to me You owe me You actually owe ht exaggeration, because Jared died hours after he collapsed in front of me, in the hospital, but I’m pretty sure Tania doesn’t know this "And if it wasn’t for you, I’d be the onelie on top of lie, but I tellto the truth If I hadn’t caught Tania with Jordan, he and I would have broken up anyway, because I’d have wised up on my own and realized what a terrible couple we madeand how much of a better fit I’d be with his older brother, Cooper, if only I could get hi as it did to get him to)

Tania doesn’t need to know this, however