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And Tess had always believed

The yellow light on the wall above her head blipped on and off It was the beeper syste-i

Exciteht her head up Her heartbeat accelerated Unable to keep a grin off her face, she hurried back to her office

Dr Weinstein was already there, holding a manila folder of test results

She skidded to a halt Her heart and hopes and prayers were in her eyes as she looked up at hiht as she waited for the results

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head

Her knees ith disappointment She sank unsteadily into the tufted vinyl chair behind her desk

Dr Weinstein squeezed her shoulder and tossed the file on the desk She cast hilance and forced a smile "Maybe next time," she said quietly, thankful for once that she couldn't hear her own voice She was sick and tired of saying the sa Over and over and over

8

Tess shoved the papers in her briefcase and followed Dr Weinstein out of her office She needed to walk, be alone for a while Regroup

Shrugging into her Eddie Bauer raincoat, she hurried down the stairs and went outside The cold dampness of a late Seattle afternoon hit her full in the face Rain pattered the thick Gortex of her hood; she felt each drop as a vibration of remembered sound

She turned her face skyward Cool water splattered her cheeks and nose and closed eyelids The icy feel of it refreshed her, reminded her with unexpected force that she was alive With life there was always hope, and with hope, anything was possible

Tightening her grip on the briefcase, she started down the hill toward the bus stop,cautiously down the rain-slicked sidewalk Beside her, buses and cars and taxis zipped through the gray drizzle She could feel the vibrations of thebeneath her feet The cherished sound-h her fertile io and before spinal itis, when the ordinary noises of life had not been withheld from her

She was just about to step in a tire-sized ht herself She wrenched sideways at the last minute and lurched toward the curb

After that, everything seeer-service bicycle sla into the street She stumbled on the slick pavement and skidded out of control Her briefcase flew out of her hand and sailed through the air It hit the pavement hard and snapped open Papers scattered and stuck to the bumpy asphalt Rain riveted them in place