"Just listen to your head and hear what it says, then place it next to what your heart says and weigh the two. And remember, no one is perfect, including you," she added, then smiled. "You'll work it out. And, lucky you, you'll have my place to yourself until tomorrow morning to do so, since I promised to visit Mom tonight before work. I'll just head to the shelter rather than waste time stopping in here."
Lissianna nodded. "I really want to thank you, Deb. I don't know where we would have gone if you hadn't--"
"I'm more than happy to help," Debbie assured her, then announced, "There's plenty of food in the kitchen, and I think I may even have a bottle of wine somewhere. Help yourself, mi casa es su casa. Now, I'd best head over to Mom's before she gets impatient and starts calling."
Debbie gave Lissianna a quick hug and left.
"She seems nice. I like her," Greg commented, coming up the hall from the kitchen now that their hostess was gone.
"She is nice." Lissianna locked the door and watched Debbie get into her car. The older woman started the engine, then glanced toward the house, spotted her, and waved. Lissianna waved back and smiled as she told him, "And she liked you, too."
"I gathered that," he murmured, as she moved past him into the living room.
"Listening, were you?" Lissianna asked with amusement as she dropped onto the couch. She was exhausted. It was eight o'clock at night, and the only sleep she'd managed since the day before was the short nap in the movie theatre.
"You look wiped out." Greg settled on the couch beside her.
"I am, but I should call Thomas and find out what's going on at the house." Lissianna started to stand, but Greg caught her arm and urged to sit back down.
"It can wait," he assured her. "We're safe for now."
"Maybe," Lissianna allowed. "But we can't stay here forever. What are we going to do tomorrow?"
"We'll worry about that tomorrow morning," he said firmly. "We should be safe until then at least."
"I'm not sure we are," she said miserably. "What if Mother goes to the shelter to poke around?"
Greg was silent for a moment, then sighed. "You're afraid she'll read Debbie's mind and know we're here."
Lissianna nodded.
"Okay. That could happen, but, Lissianna, you are completely exhausted. I've never seen anyone as worn-out as you look right this moment. You need to rest."
"But--"
Greg raised a hand to silence her, then said, "Debbie won't be at the shelter for them to read for a couple more hours. So, you can stop worrying and sleep for that long at least."
Lissianna bit her lip.
"Nothing I've said is easing your worries is it?" he asked.
"No," she admitted apologetically.
"Okay, so just relax for ten minutes then. It's been a stressful day between the mall and my family."
"I like your family," Lissianna said with a smile.
Greg grimaced, but said, "They liked you, too. While you were in the bathroom, both mother and Anne said you seemed like a good one and to snap you up."
Lissianna's smile faded. "They wouldn't say that if they knew what I was, would they." It wasn't a question, but Greg treated it as such, his expression turning thoughtful. She waited curiously for his answer.
"I think they would," he said finally. "If they believed you could make me happy, they would. And I think you could make me happy."
Lissianna sucked in a breath at those words so solemnly spoken. She was still trying to absorb them and sort out what they might mean when he frowned, and said, "You're still terribly pale. One donor wasn't enough, was it?"
"It doesn't matter." Lissianna shrugged, uncomfortable with the topic. "There isn't much I can do about it at the moment anyway," she pointed out.
Greg caught her chin with one finger and drew her face back to meet his gaze. "Yes, there is," he said solemnly. "There's me."