I felt as if all I’d been doing was taking time off. Only it wasn’t for rest and relaxation. It was for meetings with social workers and lawyers. “I feel like I haven’t been pulling my weight lately.”

Kennedy sat up in her chair and turned to face me fully. “You aren’t a robot. If some other employees and volunteers need to take on a little more responsibility at Hope House right now, so be it. You know you’ve done the same for them when they’ve had things going on in their lives.”

I toyed with a thread on my shorts. I knew I’d pitched in on things when staff had lost a loved one, had a child, or were overwhelmed, but somehow having them do the same for me made me feel vulnerable and exposed.

Kennedy reached over and squeezed my hand. “It’s okay to need help sometimes. It doesn’t make you weak.”

“I know that. In theory.”

“But reality is a whole different ball game.”

“Exactly.”

She released my hand. “You’re not used to it, so you’re just going to have to practice.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let people help you in small ways. When someone offers to take something off your plate, let them.”

I tugged the string loose. “I can try.”

Kennedy burst out laughing. “Oh, God, you should see your face. You look like I told you to jump off the Empire State Building without a parachute.”

I scowled at my best friend. “You’re not funny. You know that, right?”

She made a pssh sound. “I’m hilarious.”

“Anna! Watch me!” Lyla yelled from the trampoline.

“I’m watching, Lyla Bean.”

She took a running start and catapulted herself into the water. My hand flew to my chest as I braced to jump in after her. Lyla popped up. “How awesome was that?”

“Super awesome,” I called back—and enough to take ten years off my life.

“Now me,” Justin said. Instead of taking a running jump, he bounced at the edge of the trampoline, getting more height with each pass until he finally launched himself into the air and flipped, landing with a splash.

“They are going to make my hair turn gray,” I told Kennedy as I clapped for Justin.

“I think that’s part of their job.”

“I’m figuring that out.”

She looked over at me. “How are they doing?”

I leaned back in my chair as Justin and Lyla raced from the trampoline to the dock and back again. “I think pretty well, all things considered. We’ve had our rocky moments, but we’re finding our way.”

“I think the only thing that truly helps in these circumstances is love and time. You’ve got the love piece handled. Now, you just have to let the time part unfold.”