In the last few days, with the case in New York ending the way it had and her scary moment in the river, Alexs call had nearly escaped her mind. But now that his name had come out of Peters mouth here in their back yard, it brought it all roaring back with violent force. She managed to shove it to the side, though, not wanting to get distracted from what she really needed to tell him.

In that same way, she also decided not to tell him about her life-threatening moment in the Harlem River. Not yet, anyway. She knew deep down that if she led with that, shed leave it there. His reaction to such a harrowing moment would surely cause her to put the news of her diagnosis on the back burner. Really, shed be like Lisa in that shed be so close to the edge and taking that jump, only to back away and distract herself with something else.

No, it wasnt Alex. But that is alarming and I still need to get to the bottom of how he got your number and was able to make the call. But, Peter…there is something I need to talk to you about.

She turned to him and did everything she could to keep her nerves and tears away. She wanted to reach out and take his hand, but even with the weight of what she had to tell him, it seemed like a cheesy gesture.

He was already concerned. His eyes were deep and searching. It seemed as if he already knew something bad was on the way. Is it about my slipping up about the Grandma Tate thing? I figured wed need to sort that out sometime soon.

No, its not that either. She took a deep breath and, in the end, did end up taking his hand.

There was a morning just over three weeks ago when I was out at the training fields. I was running one of the courses, just a sort of routine exercise that Ive done several times before. I had it in my head that I was going to beat my own time and maybe even the courses best time. And I think I might have done it. I really do. But just before I got

She was interrupted by a scream that instantly brought her to her feet.

Paige. Paige was screaming, and it was not a playful and overexaggerated scream she often used when playing. This was the sound of her daughter terrorized by something, and it had Rachel sprinting across the yard as quickly as her feet would carry her. When she blasted through the back door, she was only vaguely aware of Peter trying to keep up with her.

Paige was still shrieking when Rachel sped through the kitchen and into the hall. Paige! What is it, baby? she yelled as she took the stairs two at a time.