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"You don’t now?"

"You’re forgetting so, Grace My wife cheated on , the denial, the outrage I lived with it and tried to ignore it I won’t again"

Grace crossed her ar ridiculous," she said irritably

"Am I?" he asked

"Of course you are"

"He’sabout?"

Cliff stared hard at her "You’re protecting hi!"

Cliff started for the door

"Can we leave now?" she asked, relieved this inquisition was over

His hand was on the doorknob "I think it would be best if we didn’t see each other again"

Grace stared at him "You don’t mean that" Her heart sank and she realized how deeply her lies had offended Cliff As he walked out the door, Grace stood where she was, too paralyzed by shock to react

She recovered quickly and hurried after him "Cliff," she shouted "Please, let’s talk about this"

Either he didn’t hear her or he chose not to listen Without looking back, he cliine, then drove down the street and out of her life

Twenty

Katie’s weak,cry woke Maryellen abruptly It was only quarter after one; she’d been asleep for barely an hour Her eyes flew open and she got shakily out of bed Gently lifting Katie from her crib, Maryellen held the infant over her shoulder and was instantly alarmed Katie had been sick and fussy for two days and two tortured, sleepless nights Now, if anything, she seemed worse

Maryellen had stayed home from ith her the day before The pediatrician had put Katie on antibiotics, but she was still , she’d pro with fever, restless and irritable

Her eyes gritty from lack of sleep, Maryellen walked the floor, but couldn’t seeet the six-month-old to s some liquid Tylenol; even that didn’t seem to lower her temperature

By 2:00 am Maryellen was exhausted and frantic She’d already talked to the consulting nurse on the twenty-four-hour hot line, but she needed more than reassurance She needed help It was just too hard to do this alone She hated to call Jon at this ungodly hour, but she sis, and disheartened, she was ready to replace the receiver Clearly Jon wasn’t hoht so depressed her that she found tears springing to her eyes

"Don’t," she whispered to herself "Forget about him" She refused to speculate about where he was--or hom That would only add to her y Jon answered the phone

"This better be good," he grumbled

"Jon? It’s Maryellen I’m so sorry…but I didn’t knohere else to turn"

"What’s wrong?"

"It’s Katie She’s got quite a high fever, and is terribly congested I took her to the pediatrician’s thisShe has bronchitis and an ear infection"

"Is she on medication?"

"Yes, but I don’t like the sound of her breathing I already talked to the nurse on the hot line, but I’m still worried And I’m so tired" Her voice trembled with emotion With only an hour’s sleep, she was at the point of exhaustion and felt incapable of h is the fever?"

"A hundred and three, but the nurse said that’s not uncoot hs so much that she starts to throw up and she can’t sleep and…and consequently neither can I" Maryellen fought back her tears Two nights without rest, and she was an eer I can do this…"

"I’m on my way"

"But what about work?"

"Maryellen, Katie’s hter as well as yours"

"Do you think I should take her into the eency room?" That was all she really wanted hiether"

He sounded so calreed, relieved not to be shouldering the entire responsibility for Katie’s care

Thirtyher doorbell He took one look at Maryellen and frowned "You should’ve called ht, she handed Katie to hih her hair It’d been aHe see her, and after the New Year’s Day dinner, she’d stayed clear of hi him nohile she felt and looked so dreadful, worsened her dismay But with Katie this sick, Maryellen had no choice

"She’s already on antibiotics," she explained again as Jon lovingly atteht be a day or two before she starts feeling better, but she’s still got a fever and she can’t sleep"

Jon gently brushed his lips over Katie’s brow "I think her fever’s down a bit"