“Right now it seems to go on forever.”

“Ah, Addy, you are so young to know that.”

Addy shrugged and wiped a leftover tear from her grandma’s cheek. “I love you, Grandma. I love you so much.”

“I love you, baby, so very much, and so does your grandpa.” Ginny reached for the tissue box and plopped it between them.

Spook barked his high-pitched I want to help you bark and planted both front feet on Ginny’s thigh. He leaned forward to kiss Addy’s tears away and then Ginny’s. Both of them laughed, while Addy reached out and hugged the dog.

“Sorry, boy, didn’t mean to ignore you. And you can’t get up here because I am in your place.”

Instead, he launched himself and landed right on Ginny. “Oof. Get down, you big lug.”

But instead he leaned forward and tried to wash the rest of her face. She pushed him away. “Okay, this is it. We all get up before I am totally squished beneath a seventy-pound dog and an almost teenage girl.”

Addy laughed and ordered the dog off too as she pushed herself upright. “That recliner just isn’t big enough anymore. Come on, Spook, puppy treats?”

He beat her to the kitchen.

Ginny sucked in a breath and pushed it out. At least the tears had dried up. She stood and made her way to the bathroom for a cold wet cloth.

“Grandma, did you let the chickens out?”

“I did but I didn’t feed them.”

“I’ll do that while you get dressed and then we can make breakfast, okay?”

Ginny smiled. “Fine, what would you like?”

“Can we have French toast?”

“We can, and sausage?”

“Yay!” She flew out the door, calling for Spook to come too.

Drained was the only word Ginny could think of. Like someone had pulled the plug and all her energy had gurgled down the drain. She held the cloth up to her face, wet it again, and did the same. Sinking down on the closed toilet seat, she leaned against the tank and let the coolness trickle down her neck. Her phone, now in her robe pocket, sang to her. She checked the screen, not daring a repeat from earlier.

“Hi, Amalia.”

“Are you all right?”

“Getting there, why?”

“Your voice, and Sam called.”

“Oh. I scared him by not answering my phone.” Roxie felt bad about that now.

“Uh-huh. He about hit 911.”

“He didn’t.”

“No, but he came close. The fact that he told me, that was the surprising part. You know his idea of the call button is not a bad one.”

“Oh, for…Now that is playing dirty, enlisting my friends.”

“I’ve thought about it. I would have gotten one had I stayed out on the farm.”

Ginny’s head shook without her volition.

“Where are you?” Amalia asked.

“Sitting on the john with a cold cloth that is now warm.”

“Bad bout?”

“Yes, but I did manage to spend at least part of the night in our—my—bed. Spook kept me company.”