though his expression said this was against his better judgment. I almost told him his fears were unfounded because I was only going to actually stop if Margaret was home and Seth wasn't. The odds against that possibility seemed slim, particularly with the way my luck tended to run.
The universe apparently owed me a favor because when we reached Seth's condo, I saw her car there but not his. A light inside gave me hope that they hadn't just all carpooled off together.
"Do you need me to come in?" asked Roman, as he pulled into my parking spot.
"No, but thanks. I'll be right back."
I left the car and walked up to the door, hoping some wacky happenstance wouldn't actually put me face to face with Seth. Not that I wouldn't have loved to see him. God, I missed him so, so much. But I knew no good could come of an encounter between us. I rang the bell and waited anxiously. A few moments later, Margaret answered.
"Georgina," she said, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here?" She took in my appearance. "Are you supposed to meet Seth?"
"No . . . can I come in for a minute? I'll be fast, I promise." She had on a coat, making me think she'd been about to leave. Either that or she was trying to save Seth money on his heating bills.
She gestured me inside and shut the door. "I was about to go to Terry's. Seth's already there." I didn't bother asking where Ian was. He probably celebrated New Year's on January third or something, just to be contrary. "You haven't been around in a while."
I wondered what Seth had told his family about us, if he'd even told them anything at all. Maybe he was just going to say nothing until one of them noticed my absence.
"Ah, well," I said. "Seth and I are having a disagreement."
She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "You two need to sit down and fix it then."
How I wished it was that easy. I forced a neutral smile. "We'll see," I said. "But the thing is . . . I may be moving. No, I am moving. I have a new job . . . and I was wondering if you'd like to stay in my condo when I leave. I remember you saying you didn't want to impose on Seth's space but that you wished you could stick around more to help. Well, now you can. You can have your own place. Mine."
"I can't afford to keep my place in Chicago and pay rent somewhere here, though," she said sadly. "That's been the problem."
"You don't have to pay rent," I said. "You can stay there for free."
She eyed me curiously. "How will you afford your mortgage?"
Yes, how indeed would a poor retail-bound girl like me be able to swing that? "The condo's paid off," I explained. Let her think it was passed down through the family or something. "And my new job pays well. Look, I really don't mind you staying. It'd be worth it to me to know that the girls have you close by to help. I mean, they're going to need a strong woman around, right?"
Margaret took a few moments to answer. "Right. I just thought you'd be that woman."
"Fate has other plans," I said. Wasn't that the damned truth.
"Is that why you and Seth aren't getting along? Because you're moving? I'm surprised he doesn't just go with you. . . ."
"No, no, it's not that at all," I assured her. "It's . . . complicated. If it was as simple as moving, he would when he was able to . . . you know, when Andrea's better." I hesitated, afraid of the answer to the next question, but it was one I had to know. With no contact from Seth, the status of the Mortensens had been a mystery. "How is Andrea? Is she still doing well?"
"Yes, she's doing great. We won't know the details for sure until she sees the doctor in a couple weeks, but on the outside, things look wonderful. We're all praying."
I found myself smiling, unable to help my joy and relief. Andrea had looked good at Christmas, but I'd worried ever since then that whatever demon had made her sick before would return one of these days. Again, a doctor would have the ultimate answer, but I took Margaret's own observation as a good sign.
"Thank you," I said. "You have no idea how much that makes my