Chapter 5

All I said was “yes” and “sit down with me,” and he put the box next to me, and sat down across from me in my booth.

How had it never occurred to me that he, too, might be afraid? I’d worked so hard to get over the idea of not being welcome, not being wanted…and when he’d shown up I’d fallen right back into that ugly pit, hadn’t I, and instead of realizing it was fear, I’d let myself get angry so I could blame him. Boy oh boy, hadn’t I come a long way, only to find it had been only in a circle, after all. I felt like a jerk. Which should have made me ashamed but gave me the giggles instead. That’s me for you, inner child of about twelve, laughing over the words circleand jerk

“Thanks for rescuing my stupid cat,” I said, patting at the back of Henry’s paw while he twisted it trying to claw my hand off. Maybe he’d missed me? “I don’t think they’ll let me back on site, not after that. Your timing, oh my God.”