Page 41 (1/2)

“Of course ”

“Meredith, you stay here ”

“Gladly,” she said, watching nervously as they made their way up the stairs and disappeared

Meredith paced i on her thumbnail until it started to bleed

When Jeff and Dr Burns came back down the stairs, she looked at the doctor “Well?”

“She’s sprained her ankle It will heal if she stays off it ”

“That’s not what I ers And I found an X-Acto knife by her bed I think she did it on purpose She must have Alzheimer’s Or some kind of dementia anyway What do we do?”

Jihts “There’s a place in Wenatchee that could take her for a month or six weeks We could call it rehabilitation for her ankle Insurance would cover that, and at her age, healing is slow It’s not a long-terive her—and you—some time to deal hat’s happened It’s possible that tiht help ”

“Youhome?” Meredith said

“No one likes a nursing home,” the doctor said “But sometimes it’s the best answer And remember, it’s only a short-term solution ”

“Will you tell her she’s going there because she needs rehab?” Jeff asked, and Meredith could have kissed him He kne hard this decision was for her

“Of course ”

Meredith drew in a deep breath She knew she would replay thisherself more every day She knew her father would never make this choice and wouldn’t have wanted her to make it But she couldn’t deny how much this would help her

She sleeps outsidetears doallpaperfalls off chairsill be next?

“God help ht beside her She’d never known before how profoundly a single decision could separate you from other people “Okay ”