27-04-2019, 03:51 PM
"Her heart's going to explode." Susan told Julie while Troy dealt out the money and tokens and explained them to Mander. "You're going to have to explain to the Coles why you're bringing home their daughter's body looking like a xenomorph hatched out of her chest."
Julie looked through the glass door, watching as Denise excitedly talked about something and Helen sat a safe distance downwind from her and listened just as excitedly.
"They're both making a new friend." Julie replied. "I know Denise has been feeling better about herself and making some friends lately." She turned to Susan and took hold of her hand. "And the last friend Helen made has worked out pretty well."
Troy and Julie both looked out the patio door at Helen, animatedly asking questions back about whatever Denise was saying. This wasn't the woman who tried to fake her enthusiasm through daytime talk show interviews. This was the girl they'd both stayed up all night talking with about anything and everything, continuing well past the time those daytime talk shows were ending. Troy had to forcibly remind himself that they had somewhere important to go later that evening, because he would have loved to skip the auction and see if Denise's parents would be ok with them putting her up in one of the guest rooms; bringing her home or taking her to school in the morning, so that she and Helen could just continue talking and smiling like they were. The Coles had been over for dinner a couple of times, and so had they. They were clients of Troy's now.
Denise's visit had lasted most of the afternoon and into the early evening, until Julie offered to take her and her bike home in the minivan. Susan went along as well, since Denise lived in Tacoma, and Susan's car was still parked in front of Inner Claire-ity this whole time. Troy and Helen stood on the front porch and waved goodbye to them as Mander went across the street to get his tuxedo.
"She really doesn't know about the Thing?" Helen asked Troy as they waved.
"Oh, Denise has 'discovered our secret' four times now. The next time, we've decided to just let her remember but not to reveal it. She's helped me plug a couple of security holes that I missed, to be honest. I've got some savings bonds set aside for her later on to say sorry and thanks."
Helen bent his head forward for a kiss.
"That's my boy." She said to him in Greek. "Now come on, let's go make you pretty."
* * *
Julie looked through the glass door, watching as Denise excitedly talked about something and Helen sat a safe distance downwind from her and listened just as excitedly.
"They're both making a new friend." Julie replied. "I know Denise has been feeling better about herself and making some friends lately." She turned to Susan and took hold of her hand. "And the last friend Helen made has worked out pretty well."
Troy and Julie both looked out the patio door at Helen, animatedly asking questions back about whatever Denise was saying. This wasn't the woman who tried to fake her enthusiasm through daytime talk show interviews. This was the girl they'd both stayed up all night talking with about anything and everything, continuing well past the time those daytime talk shows were ending. Troy had to forcibly remind himself that they had somewhere important to go later that evening, because he would have loved to skip the auction and see if Denise's parents would be ok with them putting her up in one of the guest rooms; bringing her home or taking her to school in the morning, so that she and Helen could just continue talking and smiling like they were. The Coles had been over for dinner a couple of times, and so had they. They were clients of Troy's now.
Denise's visit had lasted most of the afternoon and into the early evening, until Julie offered to take her and her bike home in the minivan. Susan went along as well, since Denise lived in Tacoma, and Susan's car was still parked in front of Inner Claire-ity this whole time. Troy and Helen stood on the front porch and waved goodbye to them as Mander went across the street to get his tuxedo.
"She really doesn't know about the Thing?" Helen asked Troy as they waved.
"Oh, Denise has 'discovered our secret' four times now. The next time, we've decided to just let her remember but not to reveal it. She's helped me plug a couple of security holes that I missed, to be honest. I've got some savings bonds set aside for her later on to say sorry and thanks."
Helen bent his head forward for a kiss.
"That's my boy." She said to him in Greek. "Now come on, let's go make you pretty."
* * *
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