She wondered if she could stay here. There was a perfectly nice on-call room. It wasn’t normally used because the clinic wasn’t open twenty-four-seven, but there was a cot and a bathroom with a shower. There was a fridge and a microwave in the break room.

The bell that let them know someone was at the entrance chimed through the clinic.

It might be her sister. She’d told Lisa she would call when she needed help, but Lisa wasn’t all that great at listening. She moved toward reception, Mabel and Peanut trailing after her.

A familiar young woman stood on the other side of the glass doors, bags in her hands and a stroller at her side. Hallie Rayburn smiled and Lila opened the doors.

“Hey, Hallie. Is everything okay with your mom?” Neither Hallie nor the baby had an appointment. She’d heard Janice was doing well now that she was home from the hospital, though she wasn’t happy about not being able to pour butter over all her vegetables. She’d gotten an earful about fried chicken not being on the list of acceptable foods Lila had given her.

“She’s okay, though I will admit she was easier to deal with when I could tell her I was hungry to get her off my back for a while. Now that she’s on the heart-healthy diet, she’s all about getting in my business. But I’m here for another reason. Me and Seraphina went around and got you some things we thought you might need. Dixie told us you were back in the clinic after last night, and we figured you wouldn’t have time to go shopping. It’s nothing much but it should cover the basics.”

There were a couple of big bags sitting by the stroller. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Oh, it was a ton of fun, and once people heard we were going, they pitched in with some cash. The insurance might take a while, so we all know you’ll need a few things. It can be hard to get adjusters out here quickly. Besides, we got to drive into Houma to go to the new superstore there. I know it’s not anything special, but they have the basics. We got you jeans and undies and bras. I know it sounds weird but I’m excellent at discerning bra size. My husband says I was a perverted man in my last life. You’re a thirty-four B.”

She was. Lila nodded, still trying to figure out what was going on.

Hallie grinned, obviously pleased with herself. “There’s shampoo, conditioner, and Miss Marcelle threw in some anti-frizz gel. We got you some makeup, too. You’re definitely a fall. That was the color palette I got you. I also bought you socks. Socks are important. I hate it when my feet are cold.”