Raina St. James asked as soon as Kathleen McKensie had climbed into the car and shut the door. “Sure,” Kathleen said halfheartedly, turning her head so that Raina couldn't see her eyes filling with moisture. “Everything's fine. It's hard coming here, that's all.” She had just toured the inside of her home while her friends waited for her in the car. She'd gone from room to room checking everything out, as she had every day for the past few weeks. Nothing was disturbed. Everything looked orderly and, except for some dust buildup, seemed the same as when she had been living there. From the backseat, Holly Harrison reached out and patted Kathleen's shoulder. “Your mom won't be in the hospital forever. Didn't you say Dr. Kiefer was thinking of transferring her to the rehab center this week?” Kathleen nodded, still gazing longingly out the car window at the front of her home. “It's just that I can't remember one time that my mom wasn't around for a first day of school.
