Page 79 of Dancing in the Rain

“Yep.”

“You want me to stay there with Chloe?”

“Could you? It will probably be Wednesday and Thursday night this time.”

“Of course. And I’ll come by tonight and pick her up to go see Sara.”

“Thanks. I’m headed there myself right away.”

“We’ll get through this,” Drew murmured. “Stay strong.”

She closed her eyes, his words sinking in and spreading warmth through her body. “Thank you.”

The rest of the week, life was crazy—an evening flight to New York, airing out her stale apartment, back-to-back-to-back client meetings, staff updates, planning sessions, and risk assessments. Every discussion with Gord was filled with tension. It felt like he disagreed with everything she said, and by the time she left the office late Thursday she had a mothereffing headache. She stayed in touch with Drew and Chloe and the hospice about how Sara was doing. Then she flew back to Chicago Friday evening. She went straight to the hospital from the airport, having texted Drew and finding out that he and Chloe were there.

She walked into Sara’s room, met with the scent of the raspberry-lemon candles Sara loved. She’d brought them earlier in the week, hoping that the scent would comfort Sara and be less hospital-like, and Drew and Chloe had lit one. The lamp on the table was the only light in the room, and Chloe was lying on the bed next to Sara, her arm around her. Drew sat in an armchair in the far corner.

The doctor had added a highly concentrated liquid morphine to supplement the fentanyl patch Sara wore, as well as some other medications to counteract the side effects of the pain meds, which made her drowsy. Periods of lucidity were fewer and further between due to the pain, lack of food, and the medication.

But at that moment Sara looked at her and smiled. “Hey. You’re back.”

She was aware enough to know Peyton had been gone. Peyton hurried over to the bed and bent to kiss her sister’s forehead. Her skin was cool and dry. “I’m back.”

“Chloe’s been telling me more about her mission to change the school’s dress code.”

Peyton’s lungs expanded with relief and happiness at seeing Sara like this. There might not be many more times like this. “She’s an amazing girl.”

Chloe smiled at Peyton, too. “Ashley’s having a sleepover tomorrow night and I’m invited.” Her eyebrows sloped down. “Do you think I should go?”

“Of course you should go,” Sara said. “It’ll be fun.”

Peyton nodded her agreement. “We can visit in the afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Drew rose to his feet and strolled over. “I guess I’ll be off.”

She turned to him. “I’ll walk out with you.”

“I still have some things at your place,” he said. “I can pick them up tomorrow.”

“Sure.” They walked down the hall together toward the elevators. “Thank you so much for everything.”

“Of course. Anytime. How were things in New York?”

“Ugh. Crazy.” She shook her head. “I put out some fires and got some under control. Bought myself a little more time. Everything went okay with Chloe?”

“Yeah. Though I don’t think she was being honest with me when she said now you let her stay up until ten on school nights.”

“Ha! No, she was not.” She shook her head. “She’s not above taking advantage of this situation to get what she wants, the little rascal. She’s played a few sympathy cards to get things.”

“It’s hard to say no to her,” Drew agreed, smiling. “It’s probably hard to say no to her at the best of times.”

“That is true.”

They paused in front of the elevator, facing each other. “Chloe missed you,” he said quietly. “And I did, too.”

She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she regarded him, her heart picking up speed. “Yeah. I missed you, too.”

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