“How awful for her," Jane said, knowing ordinary words couldn't begin to express what it must have been like for the grieving mother.

The waitress arrived with their pizza and the subject was dropped while they divided it up and sampled it. Finally, after eating only one slice, Grace continued. "They had to go to court to get an order to disconnect the machines. But the judge refused to agree. The baby lived another month."

“I'm sorry," Shelley said, handing Grace a packet of tissues from her purse. "I had no business asking about this and upsetting you more.”

Grace mopped her eyes and blew her nose. "No, it's okay. I haven't talked about it in years and I need to every once in a while. It sort of builds up inside and needs to be let out. I had to quit my job to go stay with Sarah for that last month. When the baby finally died, I thought it might be the beginning of Sarah's healing, but she went completely to pieces. She was almost catatonic. When she finally came around, she was a completely different person. Shy, withdrawn, nervous, afraid of everything. It was like losing her, too. She wasn't Sarah anymore."

“What a loss for you, too," Jane said. "Is she your only sibling?”

Grace nodded. "And as strange as it seemed to others that the bubbly cheerleader and the bespectacled nerd sister got along, we were always very close until then. Anyhow, she was released from the hospital and she and Conrad took off roaming around. I guess you've heard they cooked for logging camps.”

Shelley nodded. "Your grandmother told my mother that."

“All over the west — Oregon and Washington mainly. Like a pair of hippies, except they were kind of late to qualify. I don't think they ever stayed anywhere more than a couple months. As if they were afraid of making friends or forming bonds with anyone."