He tried again. “Fourteen is a good age. I learned to drive on my dad’s farm when I was fourteen. Grew an entire foot. Got really into skateboarding. Ever do that?”

“No.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s kind of dangerous,” Andrew said. He’d hit the pavement more times than he could count.

“I already have cancer,” she said flatly.

“Me too.”

That got her attention. Her mouth dropped open. “You do?”

He pulled the beanie off his head and rubbed a hand across his skull. “You couldn’t tell?”

She shrugged. “Some guys are bald by choice.” She looked down at her hands. “When you’re a hairless girl, people know something’s wrong with you.”

Andrew frowned. “There’s nothing wrong with you. If there was, that would mean there’s something wrong with me, and that can’t be true.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes, and Andrew laughed.

She stiffened. “What’s funny?”

“You just remind me of my twin sister, Jeni.”

“You have a twin?”

“Yep. Do you?”

“No.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“Two younger brothers. They’re annoying.”

“Sisters are annoying, too. I have three.”

Jasmine’s expression lightened a tiny bit, as if she was accepting that she and Andrew might have things in common.

“What kind of cancer do you have?” she asked, her voice quiet.

“Lymphoma. You?”

“Neuroblastoma.”

“I’ll be honest, I don’t know what that is.” He jerked a thumb toward Lauren. “But I’ll ask her about it later. She’ll know.”

“I’ve seen her here before. Is she your girlfriend?”

“No but I wish she was.”

That got him a smile. “She doesn’t want to be your girlfriend?” Jasmine seemed to enjoy the prospect, and Andrew was a little offended.

“Don’t worry, I’m working at changing her mind.”

“Good luck with that,” Jasmine said dryly. “She’s nice. She comes here a lot, but I don’t really talk to her.”

“Why not?”

Jasmine shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Andrew twisted in his chair. Lauren had moved on to the Lego table, joining the little boy who had called out to her when they first arrived.

“I’m going back to my room.”

Andrew turned back to face Jasmine. “It was nice to meet you, Jasmine. Maybe I’ll see you next time I’m here.”

“Okay,” was all she said.

She walked away and Andrew stayed put for several minutes, looking through the window.

When it was time to leave, Lauren and Andrew walked back the same way they came. They got into the elevator, and as the doors slid together a young woman in scrubs ran up and stuck her hand through the opening. They popped back open and she jumped into the enclosed space.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to wai—hey Lauren!”

“Hi Grace,” Lauren said with a smile. “How’s it going?”