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Kate looked up Tully stood there, dressed in crisp black jeans and a white boat-necked angora sweater Although her hair and makeup were perfect, she looked tired And nervous
"Youre still here?"
"You thought Id leave you?" Tully tried to sht you a cup of tea "
Kate stared at the Styrofoam cup in Tullys hand She kneas her favorite—Earl Grey—doctored with just the right aar
It was the only apology Tully kne to make for what shed done If Kate accepted it, she knew that the episode would have to be forgotten—the betrayal and the slap would have to dissolve into nothing so they could step back onto the track that had connected their lives No regrets, no grudges Theyd be TullyandKate again, or as close to that as groomen could be
"The story was good," she said evenly
Tullys eyes pleaded for forgiveness and understanding, but what she said was, "I, but its a start "
Kate thought, So thats what you sold me out for, but knew she couldnt say it Instead, she said, "Congratulations "
Tully held out the cup of tea "Take it, Katie Please "
Kate looked at her friend for a long tiift of words—Im sorry—but knew theyd never come Tully simply wasnt wired that way Kate had never known exactly how it had happened, Tullys inability to apologize, but she suspected that it had so to do with Cloud There was soed beyond repair as a child, and this, so, "Thanks "
Tully grinned and sat down beside her Before shed even scooted up to the table, she was talking
Soon, Tully had Kate laughing That was the thing about best friends Like sisters and mothers, they could piss you off and make you cry and break your heart, but in the end, when the chips were down, they were there, h even in your darkest hours
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
As bad as that year was, Kate knew every moht home from Germany bore only the merest resemblance to her husband in those first few , and sometimes he lost patience with himself when a word outran him or an idea couldnt be latched on to She spent endless hours with hi with hi in the lobby with Marah
Froot ho with Daddy, and no a could co in the ht her into bed with theht a smoke, and say, "Youll be sorry ")