If it’s optics they’re worried about, maybe someone should consider how dumb we look when we worry about fancy people’s egos more than our work.

Fancy people. Guys like Robert Hart, MD.

Fine, Buchanan. I’ll look into it too.

21.

The casseroling begins. That was quick. Sticky notes on our freezer door inform me that a neighbor brought Mexican chicken, packed with Hatch green chilies and soggy tortilla chips, to be baked at three-fifty at our leisure. McAlister’s wife brought some kind of shepherd’s pie thing, and one of Elizabeth’s colleagues dropped off frozen lasagna from Costco, God bless her. A sealed tin of Earl Grey is sitting on the countertop next to bread and cocktail onions. I hear Elizabeth laugh, and I follow her sniffles into the entry hall, where she’s sitting on the floor, knees up, back against the wall. She’s smiling even as she rubs mascara into her face.

“Guess who just walked in?” she says to someone on the line. “Yes. Yes, he’s right here.”

I shake my head no.

“Oh, Emily, I can’t tell you how nice this has been,” she’s saying. “I’m just so glad you happened to be there. I know. I know, we will.” She hands me the phone, saying, “It’s Raymond.”

I shake my head harder and walk away. “I’ll have to call him back.”

“Robert. Wait, Robert.” I hear her tell Emily or Ray or both, “Damn. He just raced to his office. I think he might have a work call. Exactly, exactly. Well, shoot. Of course. I’ll have him call Raymond when he’s done. Oh, believe me, I will.” She laughs about something, offers an effusive good-bye, and comes to find me when she’s off the phone. “What on earth?”

“I cannot deal with him right now, Elizabeth.”

“He said he’s been trying to reach you for days. Thinks his texts aren’t going through?”

I nod and say, “I’ll try him in a bit,” as I turn on my laptop and pretend to be doing very important things. “What were you doing talking to Emily? Why were you crying?”

Elizabeth tucks her chin. “Seriously?”

“But why were you crying to her?”

“Ray called looking for you. He said you gave him my number ages ago, in case of emergency. I told him you’ve been overwhelmed these past few days, and then I told him why. He was shocked, obviously. Then he asked how I am, and I don’t know what came over me, but that question made me want to bawl my eyes out. I don’t think Raymond was prepared for that, though, so he handed the phone to Emily, and—Jesus. I can’t believe I’ve never really gotten to know her. She’s kind of awesome, huh?”

“Why are you so soft on the Harrisons all of a sudden? You hate Ray.”