Lara's scalp, her foot and the IV bag, all without a word, which I find worrisome since she's usually so chatty and cheerful.
What happened? Is she mad at me? She hasn't even looked at me.
When she starts to walk away, I grab her arm. "Sally, wait."
She stops but doesn't look at me. "I have work to do."
"I know. I just want to find out if there's something bothering you. You've always been there for me. I want you to know I'm here for you, too. We're friends, remember?"
She doesn't answer.
I draw a breath. "Sally..."
"We're not friends," she tells me as she pulls her arm away. "Friends don't lie to each other."
My arm falls to my side as my heart sinks. My chin drops. She found out?
"Yesterday, you asked me if I would get mad if I found out someone was keeping a secret from me," Sally goes on. "I thought that was a weird question. I thought you might be hiding something from Antonio. It didn't occur to me that you were lying to us all about Lara. That's how good a liar you are."
She finally turns to look at me, but I wish she hadn't as I see the disappointment in her eyes. Antonio had that same look last night when he found out I was making a fool of him.
"I never meant to lie, Sally," I tell her the same thing I told Antonio. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"If?" Sally's eyes narrow. "Oh, you hurt me, Triss. You let me fall in love with Lara even though you knew she wasn't yours, that she would eventually have to go. Or were you planning on keeping your secret and her forever?"
"No."
"And you made a fool out of me. I poured my heart out to you about being a mother and you just sat there and pretended to care."
"I wasn't pretending."
"But you're not a mother, are you? So there's no way you'd understand the things I said." Sally shakes her head. "I should have known it. I thought it was weird that Lara didn't look like you, that you were so slim, that you were so clueless about taking care of her even though you'd supposedly been doing that for six months already. As a mother, I should have known."
The dismay in her eyes and her words lash at me like a whip. I look away.
"You did more than just lie to me or make a fool of me, Triss. You made a mockery of something as sacred as motherhood. That's why I don't think we can be friends anymore."
She turns and walks out of the room. As soon as she's gone, I hold Lara tighter to my chest, which trembles as I try to hold back tears.
I'm about to lose Lara. Now I have to deal with losing the only friend I have as well? And she's not just a friend. She's like a sister to me. My best friend. I realize that now.
I'll be going with Antonio to the city in a few days. Why do I suddenly feel that there won't be anything waiting for me in Summerset when I return?
~
"Don't worry about Sally." Antonio pats my lap without taking his eyes off the road. "She'll come around. I'm sure of it."
Will she?
Sally hasn't spoken to me since she said we were no longer friends. She didn't even show up today to say goodbye to Lara, even though she may never see her again.
I glance over my shoulder at the back seat where Lara is strapped into the car seat Antonio got her, busy playing with one of the toys attached to it.
After tomorrow, I may never see her again. I'll never get to hold her in my arms and rock her to sleep. I'll never get to hear her cry or her laugh or see her smile. All those thoughts feel like thorns pricking my chest.
I tried not to get attached to her but she snuck into my heart before I even knew it. Even though she's not my daughter, we've developed a bond that I know will be difficult to sever. I'm going to miss her.
"Triss?" Antonio calls my attention.
I look at him. "I have a favor to ask."
"What?"
"I know we're supposed to meet Ned's friend tomorrow, but can we postpone it for a day?" I ask Antonio. "I just want to spend one day in the city with Lara."
"Doing what?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Just going to a park or something."
"I don't mind,