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"No buts Its iood mother You, of all people, should understand how much it matters to a kid "

Tully sat back down They both knew there was nothing she could really say to that Tully still bore the scars of a bad mother "Women can do both, you know This isnt the fifties "

"My mom went on every field trip I ever took She was a helper in the classroo I didnt take the bus until I was in junior high and still re to my mom on the ride home after school I want o back to work later "

"And you think that will be enough for you—carpools and field trips and classroo?"

"If its not, Ill find so else Come on, its not like Im an astronaut " She smiled "So, tell h you, so ood "

Tully immediately launched into a hilarious story about her nment

Kate leaned back and closed her eyes, listening

"Kate? Kate?"

She was so lost in her thoughts it took her a hed "Sorry about that What were you saying?"

"You fell asleep on uy who asked ht "

"I was not," Kate said quickly, but the truth was that she did feel drowsy, kind of light-headed, too "I think I need a cup of tea " She stood up and swayed precariously, reaching out for the back of the couch "Wow, that was—" In the middle of her sentence, she looked at Tully and frowned "Tully?"

Tully got to her feet so quickly, she knocked over her ht here "

So; a wave of dizziness struck her so hard and suddenly that she stumbled

"Hold on, honey," Tully said, et to a phone "

A phone? Kate shook her head in confusion; her vision blurred "I dont knohats happening," she mumbled "Is this a surprise party for me? Is it my birthday?"