I was feeling a lot more like my old self the next day, at least physically. I was still really sad, but I tried to keep that to myself since it wouldn’t do anyone a bit of good. Shane and Jenny met me in the kitchen with my medication and juice, and before I could do much of anything else they said that they’d drop me off at the hospital with Alice before I got cabin fever pacing the house again today. They said they had to go to work, but that they’d stop in and say hi to Alice, and that I should call when I wanted to go back home. I was happy that they didn’t seem to want to put any sort of time limit on my visit.

I thanked them and went back to my room to call Charlie, but before I could dial he called me. He asked that I take it easy, but told me that I should go over and be with Alice if I felt like it. I’d have gone regardless of his feelings on the matter, but it was nice to know that he was okay with it.

“Just try not to overdo it,” he cautioned. I agreed. I knew I had a tendency to do that, but I was planning to take care of myself this time around. I had every intention of staying with Alice a good portion of the day, but I was planning to go home for dinner and maybe some quiet time with a book or something before I went to sleep.

It would be tough to get to sleep without her in the house with me. I’d been able to do it the past few days simply because I was exhausted and sick and needed the sleep, but now that I was feeling all right I was going to have to pretend that she was at a speaking engagement in Europe or something. I didn’t think I could bear facing the reality of what was happening; I needed the buffer zone of my imagination.

After talking to Charlie, I went back to the kitchen. Shane had made coffee and Jenny had made us all breakfast, so we ate that without really saying much. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot to say, and for the time being I didn’t mind. It wasn’t awkward. That was one of the many things I loved about spending time with Shane and Jenny. They never tried to make mindless conversation when there was absolutely no point in doing so. Having been with Alice for so long, I was used to having to make conversation, but it was just how she was and it was never awkward. With other people, it had always been hard for me to talk, so I appreciated not having to do it when I really didn’t see the point in it.