next day. Jessie had, of course, already c

strange, like embracing a stranger. "Jessie told us about

eaming. "It shows you're really thinking

wanted to ask. C

ed, patting my arm. "Accepting things, and making sure Jess

m, preened under the praise

highlighted their superficiality, their readiness to praise any action tha

sebleed started. Blood dripped onto my

bed a tissue f

om asked, a flicker of concern

," I said, pressing the t

kly looked away, a small, sati

rah being clumsy, or stressed. The steroids gave me a healthy flush, a veneer o

parents, really

quiet but clear. "If I were

g in the air, st

o morbid, Sarah! You look better than you have in

just feeling a bit down with all the changes. You'll perk up

ound sadness, a despair so deep it felt like drowning. My suffer

g to do. One final, sym

m school, full of c

t of him, taking his

my voice gentle. "You kno

bright eyes s

re a lot more, to help out. T

e's fun. She lets me eat cook

e'll take such good care of you, Ethan. She'll play with you, help

widened.

y much. And it would make me very happy i

d towards the woman who was complicit in my destruct

asily accepting. "Jessi

an off to find Jessi

iving room when Ethan burst in, announcing

t up with unad

nderful!" Jessie crie

o me with a triumphant smile. "Ever

e beaming, nodd

this new family arrangement, that they didn't notice the tears we

nd walk quietly out of th

concern was complete. The injust

first, then with a gr

old oak tree where Chloe an

, brilliant lawyer. The one person who mig

ate afternoon sun filte

riness settling in. The energy

y phone, my fi

e to Chloe: "Need you.

it

sudden, crushing pain in m

he phone slipping fr

nely, under a tree ful

message