oe.</p>
itinutebeforeheleaed,hrelief,thatrachelwas</p>
stillalive,atose,andh</p>
uedpride,thatsanthahadhadthehaltocallthe</p>
hospitaloionssoearlyin</p>
theday,chlessthreesuchheftyoleasthiserewas</p>
gone.hedidnttohavetoanalyzethat.</p>
pushingtheversaside,hetothehe</p>
fra,andpeeredout.ingfogfilledtheyon,butitwas</p>
differentfrohefogthatfilledhisurtyardiy.thisone</p>
er,gewasflannelgrayandfuzzygreen,andfora</p>
uandistoodthereand</p>
oved.nothingged.hesaoss,and</p>
fog.hiseyeslapsedintoasleepystare.</p>
”daddy”helookedoverhisshoulderatthedoor.hopesfacewas</p>
allthatshhanarroe.</p>
”idontfeelgood,daddy.stochhurts.”justthatquickly,so</p>
didjacks.hestraightened.”hurts,asinpain”ifitwas</p>
appendicitis,he.</p>
”no.notpain.”</p>
”ache””iguess.”hetothedoorandtouheek.”you</p>
dontfeelfeverish.</p>
thihingyouate””idontknoifigoto</p>
schoolandstartfeelingsick,theyllhavetocallyou,andifyoure</p>
intheaybeishouldjuststayinbed.”she</p>
didntlooksi.shedidntfeelsi.thefreckles</p>
shehadiedfroayskin.”dontyou</p>
toseeyourther”hereyesoing,i</p>
edgenuineenoughabout</p>
that.</p>
soithadtobethecat.”</p>
thinkshefeelsgood,either.ifistayhere</p>
hher,thetter.”jackrubbedthebackofhis</p>
osay”hatsoundsfine.</p>
exceptorroherorthe</p>
dayafterthat”thecatgetbetterinaday</p>
ortuinevere,youuldsstherestof</p>
thesyoudoing</p>
that.”</p>
”butifigotosoguineverewillbehere</p>
aloneforawhole,longday.”</p>
”didntsaayshedsleepstoftheti”aeknod.</p>
”.itleaveherall</p>
alone.</p>
not...</p>
notnhhishair,butthe</p>
gestureseedieeventohisoheputanarroundher</p>
shoulders.theyfeltsllandfrailushirtthatreachedher</p>
kneesandwasnearlyaswide.</p>
barebitsofskinnylegshohetshirtendedandher</p>
sbegan.”ikhinkof</p>
asolution.ifchildrenhe</p>
bahitecture,not</p>
parenting.”youllbehherallsay</p>
anything,justlookedupathifearonherfadthebeginning</p>
oftearsinhereyes,herofadehieelgreat.</p>
hehadathought.”say”hopegavea</p>
oneshoulderedshrug.</p>
”efrochool””no.butshedbehereto</p>