Chapter 6

Maria’s tea kettle switched off as the steam escaped from the spout. Anna launched into a story about the agonizing debate over which pastry she’d chosen for her final hurrah before the set dietician took over her meals. Chris moved her chair over to make room for Maria, with one last sticky bun finding its way into her mouth.

It was going to be a long three months apart, but she and Anna would make it through. They always did. 2

“Damn it!” Marisol threw her scissors down with a frustrated huff and frowned at the wad of fake moss in her hand. “Why can’t I cut in a straight line?”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Tony said as he snipped away at his own sheet of moss. “It’s hard to cut a freeform straight line.”

Marisol waved her moss like a flag of defeat. “I’m not cutting freeform, I’m trying and failing to follow a line. There’s a grid on the back of the sheets.”

“There is?” One eyebrow arched on Tony’s face as he flipped over his moss to take a look. “Huh. Look at that.”