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“Come on, I’ll drive you to the police station” He slipped his arm around her waist and started to lead her from the house

She slammed the door shut and let herself be carried away by hie, she knerong She’d given away too many moments like this with Lina, let Francis shoulder too many of the painful times of her life She had to stand up for herself and be as strong a parent as she was a doctor

She stopped

Francis turned to her “Maddy?”

“I’ve got to do this alone, Francis I’m her mother”

He took a quick step backward “I left the number in Portland on your voice mail”

She ently tucked a lock of hair behind his ear “I’ll call you tonight and let you knoent”

“Will you?” Still he didn’t look at her, and there was a strange tension in his voice

She touched his cheek, forcing hiazes met, she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes, and it confused her He looked hurt “Francis?”

He stared at her for a heartbeat, then squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head “Lina came to see me today I let her down”

“Oh, Francis …” She tried to conjure a smile “I let her down, Francis Me”

“No You’re greedy as usual,some of the blame”

She hesitated “Maybe you should come with me, Francis…”

“No, she’s your daughter and you need to handle this Besides, I’ve got to get on my way Four married couples need the advice that only their celibate priest can offer” He smiled wanly and shook his head at the irony

She wanted to say more, but she didn’t knohat it was he needed to hear, how she could make this moment what he wanted it to be For the first tier to her “Drive carefully,” she said, not knohat else to say