Page 29 of The Dating Charade

“Maybe because it was old.” Cassie turned the page, reading the text above the furry feline in the tree. “‘As they walked along the sidewalk, they heard a strange sound. Why, it sounded like it came from the sky!’”

Deidre pointed. “What’s that man doing?”

“He’s going up a ladder into the tree.”

“Why’s he going up a ladder?”

Cassie took a new approach. “Because he’s a fireman, and that’s what happens when cats get stuck in trees. You call the fire department and they come to save your kitties.” Cassie turned to Deidre. “Do you like kittens, Deidre?”

Deidre looked up at her, the same serious expression in her gaze. She turned her head back to the page.

Deidre had not spoken since Cassie had found her hanging on Star’s hip at the apartment. Not one word.

Three more books and 120 questions from Kennedy later, the doctor returned and gave her the news.

“You have one tough cookie on your hands, Ms. Everson. Kennedy’s test came back positive for strep, plus a double ear infection. Ten days of amoxicillin should do it.” He ripped off a sheet and handed it to Cassie. “I’d also like to see them on a diet plan until they are up to full speed.”

Cassie scanned the list of food recommendations as he talked about their BMI.

“And . . .” Cassie hesitated, casting a glance to Deidre, trying to figure out how to word the question without her knowing. “About the . . . nonverbal . . . issue. Is there anything you would recommend? Anything I should be doing?”

His eyes dropped to Deidre as she flipped through Cassie’s keys. He held on to his clipboard. “I’ve added the numbers of a few specialists at the bottom of that page for that very reason. It could be a speech impediment, possibly a delay—” He glanced to his sheet. “—though everything else seems to indicate she’s right on track. Has she ever spoken to you before?”

Cassie shook her head, flooded with guilt at the knowledge that Deidre had been coming to the Haven for four months now and she’d never noticed. She saw her smile on occasion. Knew she was shy. But how could Cassie have not noticed that she wasn’t talking? Did she do her job at all?

“Well, I’d call Dr. Mernit first,” the doctor continued. “She does great work using play therapy. She’ll be an excellent resource. Otherwise, just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Cassie thanked him, signed the lengthy medical form Rachel had forwarded to her at midnight the night prior, and discussed scheduling for a follow-up appointment in two weeks.

The next three hours, however, slipped by in a blur.

Picking up pills at the pharmacy should’ve taken ten minutes. The grocery stop on the way home should’ve taken twenty. A quick, spontaneous trip down the toy aisle of Target shouldn’t have been more than five.

And yet somehow—she couldn’t pinpoint how—it was four o’clock and there were still groceries on the counter to unload. As Cassie drew a bag toward herself, she caught Star looking at her from the bar stool, an environmental science book open beside her school computer.

“Are you going to quit your job?”

The question came out of nowhere.

“What?” Cassie pulled out one of five boxes of macaroni. “No. Why would you think that?”

“You skipped today.”

“And?”

Star shut her computer. “And you haven’t skipped a day since I started coming.”

Cassie shrugged, opening the cherrywood cabinet. “Sure I have.”

“No. You’ve made appointments and stuff, but you’ve never missed a whole day.”

“So I’m a genius, then, because I now have enough vacation days to roll me over to July.” Cassie took a few steps toward the window to glance in on the living room. Deidre was still at the coffee table coloring with the new glitter markers picked out on the toy aisle; Kennedy watched Mr. Jeeves slip up several steps. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting.

“You going to be gone tomorrow too?”

“Of course. Kennedy’s sick.” Cassie grabbed the frozen corn. “What else would I do with her?”

“Yeah.”