When Jackie cried, Valerie lifted her from the bed and slipped out of their bedroom. She was about to sit down on their couch when she remembered that Sandy was usually up at this time too. She held Jackie close and crept out of the apartment. She paused in the kitchen to listen. The house was absolutely still. “This is stupid,” she said in a low voice. She was turning to go back to the apartment when Jill came down the stairwell from the loft. “There you are,” Jill said. “I was just going to look for you.” “For me?” Valerie asked. Jill smiled. She gave Valerie a light hug. “Sandy and Rachel are waiting for us,” Jill said. “Sandy?” Valerie tried to appear uninterested. Jill smiled at Valerie’s pretense. “Come on,” Jill said. “We’ll help.” Jill turned away from Valerie to walk into the living room. Valerie stared in her direction. “Help? What help do I need?” Valerie asked. Sandy stood from the living room couch and smiled at Valerie. The warmth of Sandy’s smile was enough to draw Valerie into the room.
