Chapter 13: The Smile

Cameron came up the steps two at a time.

"What happened?"

"She stood up and went down," I said. "Her pulse is steady. I didn't want to move her."

He dropped to his knees and took Celia's face in his hands.

"Celia. Cee. Look at me."

Her eyelids fluttered.

She was good.

I had watched her do it once already, and I still could not see the seam.

"Cam?" she said. "I'm sorry. I got dizzy."

"You scared me."

"I know. Melanie was wonderful." She turned her head and found me with her wet, grateful eyes. "She opened my coat so I could breathe."

My hands were shaking in my lap, so I put a smile over them.

It was the hardest thing I had ever done with my face.

"You should have her looked at," I said. "The Pavilion has a wheelchair ready at the door. Doesn't it, Cameron?"

He glanced up at me.

For one moment his eyes went narrow and careful.

Then Celia said, "Oh, don't make a fuss," and he looked away.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her down the steps to the white SUV.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

Over his collar, she watched me.

She did not smile.

She only watched me until the car turned out of the drive.

I stood at the rail until the SUV backed out of the drive and the sound of it was gone.

Then my legs let go, and I sat down on the porch boards beside the spilled tea.

The red pickup came up the lane ten minutes later.

Trudy got out with a length of stovepipe under one arm, took one look at me, and dropped it in the gravel.

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