Page 35 of Deacon

“At one point, I considered faking appendicitis.”

“That would have been valid.”

“I know.”

“That is enough,” I said, though a smile had already begun tugging at my mouth. “And Evan, stop encouraging her.”

Jade pointed at me from the couch. “I’m not the one being encouraged. I encourage him.”

Evan folded both hands over his heart. “She sees me.”

“Unfortunately,” I muttered.

Jade tossed her hair over one shoulder like she had won something. “You’re welcome.”

I set down my mug and looked at her properly. “I’m going to Blue’s for the afternoon. What are your plans?”

“I’m going to Chloe’s.” She sat up a little straighter, already bracing for the maternal follow-up. “And yes, I’ll be home in time for dinner.”

“You say that like you’ve been interrogated before.”

“Because I have.”

Evan bent toward her and lowered his voice. “Oppression is often disguised as structure.”

Jade nodded solemnly. “That tracks.”

I gave them both a look. “I hate the two of you together.”

“That’s because we’re fun,” Evan said.

“That’s because you’re exhausting.”

He brightened. “Also true.”

Jade hopped up from the couch and hugged me before heading to her room to get ready. The embrace came quick and warm, the kind of affection she had become more sparing with as she grew older, which made me treasure it even more when she offered it.

“Bye, Mom.”

“Bye, baby. Text me if your plans change.”

“I will.” She leaned around me and called, “Bye, Guncle Evan.”

He covered his mouth with one hand. “Every time she says it, an angel gets its wings.”

“She doesn’t say it often enough for that many angels,” I said as I grabbed my bag.

He followed me through the door anyway, muttering about my hostility toward joy.

The drive to Blue’s was quieter than usual at first. Evan had spent most of his opening energy on Jude outrage and Jade worship, and I was tired in a way sleep never seemed to fix anymore. Work accounted for some of it. The rest came from the worry Jackson had planted beneath my skin, settling in so deeply that even a day away from the hospital couldn’t loosen it. My body had forgotten how to unclench.

Evan glanced at me once while we waited at a stoplight and didn’t make a joke.

That was how I knew I looked bad.

Blue answered the door in soft clothes and bare feet, one hand resting automatically over the round curve of her stomach. Strain remained in her face, but she had somewhere to put it today. She had people ready to catch whatever slipped loose.

“It’s my first full day off in weeks,” she said as we entered. “I’m not on call. There’s no pager, no scrubs, no antiseptic clinging to my skin. Just sunlight, snacks, and the low hum of ordinary life.”