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“Mrs Glass” I tsk again as I pull the blood pressure cuff off her arhty for me”

“How is Dr Daniels? How’s he faring?”

I update her on Doctor, who’s away visiting his ill father

“You must be exhausted Ready for his return”

“Certainly so But I’ quite nicely for the moment”

“It’s a bit of pressure, I suppose Bearing the responsibility for so many poorlys”

I laugh, and she sly, and that’s a person for you, I think—any person Bits of good and bits of not-so-lovely I’ve learned to take the bad with the good It’s all that one can ever really do I find other people quite foreign—especially after years of silence—but there’s al to love

I send Mrs Glass aith a freeze-dried pack of strawberries Mayor Acton’s sister gave rown toenail

As she starts toward her home, across the lane and two doors down, I hold Baby’s hoof up in a wave Mrs Glass chortles

A few moments after I step back into the clinic, I hear a soft thu on the ramp, I yank the door open and nearly suffer heart arrhythmia

Declan

He’s leaning over, his long arainst the wooden rail beside the stairs As I watch, wide-eyed, he turns his head toward htens

“Hi” A soft smile curves the corners of hisI realize he’s wearing sport clothing and breathing like he’s just been jogging

“Hi” I can’t help s, even as I realize with some horror it’s the first time I’ve seen him since the closet

He brings his hands together in front of him, and for a moment, I feel he looks perhaps a bit bashful “Thank you for the basket”