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"He’s not a teenager anymore," Nora said, her voice soft and hollow "He turned twenty on September 9th Did you know I’d already decided on his birthday present?"

"No, I didn’t," Zach said, his voice flush with syin Islands Justhie the island’s nahed "Why am I not surprised?"

"You said heZach’s words

"Nora, let’s not talk about this"

"What did you mean, ‘Glad to hear both you and Wesley have ood ht Yes? Or was that a joke? I can never tell with you," Zach teased aardly

"I a will be rather thorough," she said, an and paused And in that pause Nora’s stoht it forony "Wesley has a girlfriend She’s a little older than he"

Nora sed

"Who is she?" Nora asked, trying not to let the sorrow and anger she felt with unreasonable force seep into her voice

"I believe he said her naet She’s his father’s secretary, apparently"

"Bridget?" Nora repeated, snorting a little in disgust "Sounds like a high-functioning et who could read"

"This isn’t so, is it?" Zach asked Nora heard soround, the sound of a wo and knew Zach’s wife, Grace, had gotten back into bed with hiether?"

"I’m afraid you’ll have to ask hi the phone the next time he calls?"

Nora nodded and then remembered she and Zach were on the phone

"I’ll think about it Søren wants me to He thinks I need toI never thought I’d ever say in ave a little rueful laugh

"Here, Grace wants to speak with you," Zach said and she heard hi and pass the phone

"Nora? Are you all right?" ca Welsh-accented voice over the line