“We would have been here before, but Eleanor had trouble latching on this morning.”

Rosie had a red paisley pashmina around her shoulders, and her skin gleamed. “It’s like trying to put a watermelon into a buttonhole, honestly.”

Holly gestured for Summer to come forward. “Rosie, meet Summer.”

“I hear you saved this trip,” said Rosie. I watched the two of them like a nervous hostess hoping everyone had fun at her party.

Summer flushed. Lifted Utah for viewing. “It was an ensemble cast.”

Rosie exclaimed, “Ohhhhh, I love her,” and I was sure she meant Utah and Summer because who couldn’t love them both? Nobody, that was who.

There was hardly time to wheel Rosie into position when the door swung wide. “Here comes Drew with Katie,” I said and wanted to feel only joy, but my niggling fear for Katie elbowed in and sat down.

When Katie saw all of us, she said, “Oh my God, you guys!” with one hand covering her mouth, her eyes gleaming with tears.

If I hadn’t seen her the night before, I’d have been shocked at how small Katie looked in the light of day. She wore a faded blue hospital gown that matched the bluish color around her eyes and a hospital-issue robe. I wanted to dodge it, to brush past it, and stay distracted by Peanut’s unruly hair or Drew’s lovely eyes, but I made myself take it in. Because as often as I let denial rise up in me and block out my feelings, I knew Katie was seriously ill. And denying that now was not going to help anyone.

The real reason we were gathered here lunged forward. Peanut tugged at the leash, and I let it go, but he didn’t rush Katie; instead, he moved respectfully forward. Katie lowered her head, and the dog met her forehead with his. There was a collective moment for Holly, Summer, and me where it seemed we were the only ones present. Each of us observing the fruits of our time together, each holding the triumph of the moment like a red thread uniting us.

“Oh, love,” Katie breathed. And every one of us was part of that inhale. Even Eleanor seemed to feel it as she nuzzled closer to Rosie. This was the comfort of love. It didn’t cure cancer or reduce the pain of childbirth, but it cloaked lovers, friends, and family in an embrace that stretched far and wide and was supremely difficult to break, despite our best idiotic efforts.

Drew came from behind the wheelchair, silently crossed the grass, and I put my hand lightly between his shoulder blades. “I’m going to let you friends reconnect without me hovering.”

I whispered, “Thank you for everything. I’ll text you later.” I spread my fingers against his back to feel the movement of air into, then out of him as we watched Katie together.

With one last look, he smiled and moved down the path and into the hospital. Katie wrapped her arms around Peanut while Moose sat quietly and waited to be noticed. Katie waved us in, and I bent to hug the dogs and Katie in one grateful hug. Her sharp shoulder blades told the story of a difficult week while we were gone. A story I didn’t want to hear but was absolutely strong enough to.

CHAPTER THIRTY

I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK

Eleanor made a gerbil noise, and Rosie smiled. “I already know that’s her hunger sound.” She glanced at Holly.

“We’re going back to the room. Eventually we might be able to feed this baby discreetly, but right now it’s a lot of skin and nipple,” said Holly.

“It hurts more than I thought it would,” Rosie said.

“I used lanolin to ease that pain,” I said. Remembering how many surprises, how many tips and tricks went into motherhood.

“I have not passed out once.” Holly winked at me.

“Come visit if you’re up to it.” Rosie took Katie’s hand in hers, and they shared a warm smile.

I grabbed Summer’s tiny wrist and pulled her in front of me. “Katie, this is Summer Silva. She made our trip more fun than it had any right to be.”

“When I heard you joined Sam and Holly, I watched everything you’ve ever done on YouTube! It’s so nice to meet you.” Katie grabbed one of Summer’s hands with both of hers.

Summer grinned and said, “Did you see the episode where that lady wanted a sex swing in her camper?”

“Yes, right on television she said, ‘I like sex in motion, baby!’ and all I could think of was what her mother would say when she watched that episode.”

“Her mother is another story altogether. The leaf doesn’t fall far from the tree, if you know what I mean.”

“Fruit?”

“Yeah, she was a total fruitcake.”

Katie darted a glance at me, and I shrugged like, Yep, that’s what the whole trip was like.

Holly listened to our exchange with a delighted smile and turned Rosie’s chair toward the hospital’s entrance. “I’ll drop Rosie and meet you two in Katie’s room in twenty,” she said.

“Samantha, hand me the keys,” said Summer. “I’ll take the dogs home. Do some laundry. Stop for groceries. You can’t live on Cheez-Its alone.”

“You hate Cheez-Its,” I said, but Summer was already leading the dogs to the car.

Then it was just Katie and me. Together again, pushing her wheelchair through the hospital, picking up where we left off.

“Bradley and Bebe are here,” she said. “At the hotel right now, but they are coming to my room later.”

“They made it after all?”

“Mom had a panic attack, and Dad decided to drive her up here to give them both something to do.”

“How does that feel?”

“I’m glad they came. Mom is a hard energy, but, you know, she’s still my mom.”

“Moms do their best,” I said, thinking of my mom and her difficult lack of energy. “I can only imagine what Maddie says about me.”

Katie lifted her phone and said, “She says you’re the best mom in the world. I told her that I already knew that.”

In Katie’s room I repositioned an IV pole, two folding chairs, and an over-the-bed table. It was hospital-room Tetris, and I found it satisfying. We chatted as I backed Katie’s chair next to the bed for an easy transfer. Holly arrived, and we all took our places.

“So, the trip,” Katie said.

Holly rubbed her shoulder. “We’ll fill you in later.”

“Holly only barfed once. And she did it out the car window and not in a sink.”

“To be fair, there was no sink available. I would have made it the whole trip, but dogs vomit constantly, and my gag reflex is always at the ready.”

“You should have seen her when a cat gave birth. She was horrified but did not pass out.”

“People can change.” She laughed, and there was a gracefulness in that comment that hit all the right notes. No bitterness. No I told you so, just grace.

“The dogs will stay with me while we fill out all the paperwork for making Peanut a support dog.” I explained what Holly and I had worked out on the trip. “I’m sure it’s complicated, but we have Holly, our personal lawyer, who can explain all the things.”

“I can’t tell you how good it made me feel to see Peanut. He smells just like he always did. His own Peanutty scent,” Katie said.

“We have to have his vet records, rabies shots, et cetera. Sam, can you call Griff for those?” said Holly. The mischievous grin she shot me made me roll my eyes.

“Who’s Griff?”

“He’s a supercute vet that took a liking to Samantha. He did not know about Drew.”

“Neither did I. Know about Drew, I mean.”

Katie nodded. “Drew’s amazing. You guys. He was so nice to me. He was sneaky at first. Coming in. Asking how I was. But one night we got to talking, and he confessed he was keeping track and sending you updates.”

“To be fair, we knew you wouldn’t tell us the truth, and we didn’t want you to be alone,” I said. “It was a Hail Mary decision,” I said.

“It’s okay. It was kind of great having someone I didn’t know helping out. Very freeing. Plus, he’s professional.”

“His updates were pretty lame. But it was good to know you were doing well. Not getting worse while we were gone,” I said.

The air changed in the room, threaded between the three of us. Maybe it was my spirit animal, the quiet deer, galloping through space and time, pulling a new dimension along with her.

But then Katie broke the spell.

“You guys, listen. I’m pretty sick this time. Like, really sick.”

I sat hard on the bed, everything fun slithering out of the room with the word.

I nodded. “That’s okay. Peanut is here. He’ll turn on your immunity, and it’ll be like the last time. Tough but manageable.” I cut my eyes at Holly. “Right? We’ve done this before. We know how to do this.” I took Katie’s impractically soft hand, felt the smooth knuckle, the cushy underbelly. “This time we have Peanut and Moose. The healing power of two dogs this time around.”

Holly didn’t speak, even though one of Katie’s machines beeped and there was a thread of blood in the IV line taped to the back of Katie’s arm.

I looked between the two women, my two best friends. I squinted at Holly’s calm, knowing expression. No anger. No impatience or condescension. No disgust at the slow slog of my brain to get with the program. I saw only acceptance and patience. Support without sarcasm and love.