I looked up to see Vidalia, the doctor who’d joined Oswald’s practice. She was a petite woman with tiny hands that did precise work. Seeing her in her prim suit, most people would never believe that she’d been the bat-shit-crazy scorned woman who’d tried to kill me.

“Hi, Vidalia,” I said cautiously.

She sat down. “I’ll wait here while they’re making my protein shake. We’ve got a long day ahead, and I’ll need some energy.”

“You’re acting very nonchalant for someone who cut the wires in my car, buried my engagement ring, dragged my wedding dress through the mud, and attacked me in wolf form.”

She shook her head and smiled regretfully. “I was out of my mind with jealousy and I really believed that you were having an affair with my ex. Of course, the drugs I took to shapeshift messed me up, as did the transformations. I wanted to be a she-wolf, but just became a megabitch.”

“I never even kissed your ex. Oswald thought I was losing my mind because of your sabotage.”

“I’m really sorry about that, Milagro.” She glanced through the window and across the street to the parking lot.

We watched as a van turned into the lot and parked in the shade. The side door slid open and two young men and a woman got out. One was leaning on a cane. Another’s empty sleeve was pinned to his shoulder. The woman’s face was a rough, red mass of scar tissue. The driver and passenger got out and helped them to the building’s entrance.

“Your patients?” I asked.

She nodded. “We’re doing their evaluations this morning for surgery on the weekend. Oswald and I are spending most of our free time with wounded vets. Most of them need psychiatric counseling, too, though, because they’ve got post-traumatic stress. But we do what we can.”

My feelings softened a little. “I’m glad you’re helping.”

She smiled and said, “It’s funny how things turn out. If I hadn’t been stalking my ex, I wouldn’t have come here and learned that Oswald was looking for an associate. If I hadn’t attacked you, I wouldn’t have been forced to do this pro bono work. It’s been the most rewarding thing in my life.”

“A happy chain of incidents,” I said, half sarcastic and half serious.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “So many things happen around you.”

“I didn’t ask you to be a crazed stalker. You made those decisions all on your own.”

“True, but I think you’re a catalyst for things happening. I think that there is individual choice in our lives, but we operate in a larger framework. Within that framework, there are certain pivotal people, and you’re one of them.”