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Her suarded as she nods

"So would you like to go to the zoo with us today?" I ask her

I fully expect her to say yes, and I'ain when she shakes her head "Actually, if you don't mindI'd like to pass"

"Why?" I blurt out

Gracen responds with a tinkling laugh "Trust et there eventually, but so to just relax and do nothing today"

I taer that flares over her words It's another potent reminder that Gracen's had years with Lilly She's had so much ti for a few hours, whereas I want all the tiet

But I push it down hard, knowing that I made a proht still be struggling with sos, but I absolutely refuse to take it out on her anymore

So I give her a return smile "Sure No problem"

Chapter 14

Gracen

I open the glass door that leads out to a courtyard just off the hospital cafeteria It's for anyone to use--patients, visitors, and medical staff--but today all of the tables are filled to capacity since it's an unseasonably cool day for September in the Carolinas

Or so I'm told

Spotting Josie sitting at a round table that seats four, I start windingsoon after I got to work and we made plans to meet up for a quick lunch We both work the same 7 AM to 7 PM shift today

"I've got about twenty ht

"I've got about ten," she returns with a grin, then takes a huge bite of what looks like a tuna fish sandwich

"Show-off," I say with a faux grumble in my voice

Josie snickers while she chews I open the cellophane wrapper on the harabbed from the cooler in the cafeteria The line for the hot food was too long, filled with visitors who had more time than the medical staff did to eat

As I' She wastes none of her tenwith you and Marek?"

I ignore the true eneralities "It was really nice having his parents in this weekend to meet Lilly She really took to them"

That distracts her enough to let go of Marek Her eyebrows furrow slightly "Hoas it with them?"

"They were far nicer to me than I deserved"

Josie's look of concern turns into one of dismissal "You deserve to have everyone treat you nicely, Gracen"

"Maybe so But I also deserve soer"

"But you didn't get it?" she asks

I shake "

"Marek could take a lesson or two from his parents," Josie mutters

"Actually," I say as I pick at the crust on my sandwich "He asked me to stay at the house rather than move into an apartment Promised me he wouldn't be a dick"

Josie's eyebrow raises "Well, well This is a nice turnabout"

"Maybe" My noncoe, because both her eyebrows shoot up

She leans over the table andon?"