Reaching down to stroke his back, she said, “We are a pair of scaredy-cats. Take it easy, But-But, and let’s see what fell.”

Together they crept toward the kitchen. The blue vase she kept on the shelf above the counter was in pieces. It had come with the get-well flowers Andrew had given her during her recent hospital stint.

“Must have put it too close to the edge, you big goof,” she said to the beagle, who had calmed down. “See what Grandma does? Just the sound of her voice makes bad things happen.”

The last thing she wanted to do was sweep up glass, but she couldn’t leave it for Andrew. Plus, she didn’t want Buttons stepping on it. After shooing him back to the living room, she got out the broom and dustpan. The washer dinged just as she was emptying the pan into the garbage pail.

Her shoulders and wrists were aching something fierce by the time she collapsed onto the daybed, just in time for an Audrey Hepburn movie. She tried meditating, and when that didn’t work, it was time to take a pill anyway. That did the trick.

* * *

Andrew looked at his schedule for the next week, checking it against the two doctors appointments Kate had. The pain management office understood that people had to maintain jobs to pay the bills, so they offered late appointments on Thursdays. He could get Kate there easily after work. The cardiologist on Tuesday morning would be an issue.

His boss had told him time and again that he could work from home any time, knowing what he and Kate were going through. But on his last review, he’d gotten dinged for team engagement, which was a veiled way of saying he hadn’t been around the team enough. The fact that he got more done from home and never lost touch with the team – thanks to their video presence system – was beside the point.

“You coming out for drinks tonight?” James asked, his head popping over Andrew’s cubicle wall.

“What’s it for this time?” Andrew closed his planner.

“Brandi landed that whale account late yesterday. She said she’s buying, and who am I to turn down free drinks?”

James tapped his fingers on the cubicle’s edge. The man was a ball of nervous energy.

“I’d love to but I have to head home,” Andrew said.

“Come on. You missed out on Drew’s going-away shindig and Cara’s promotion. And word on the street is you’re not going to the team-building weekend next month.”

Pushing away from his desk, the chair rolling into the file cabinet, Andrew said, “I can’t do three days away from home, Jim. You know that.”

Not to mention he had no desire to go rock climbing while listening to some career coach spout inspirational quotes all along the way. What moron decided this was a thing?