Katie asked.“Nothing.” One word that said everything, but I’m not discussing it with you.“I’m sorry I missed the funeral,” she said, just in case that’s why Bertrice was sulking.“Ben said you were sick.”“Believe me, I would rather have been at the funeral, but I couldn’t stay more than a foot away from the bathroom all day. Must have been some kind of stomach flu. I’m still dragged out.”Bertrice only nodded and went back to her sulk. The truth came out when they were washing one of the dogs they were boarding. Katie had given her space, assuming that Bertrice was dealing with her friends’ deaths or had had it out with her mom and wasn’t ready to share it yet.And that’s why it was so surprising, and painful, when Bertrice said, “I thought you were my friend.”In fact, Katie even looked behind her to see if Bertrice was talking to someone else. “I am your friend. Why would you even say such a thing?”“You told my mom about my belly ring. Then, of course, she had to inspect me, like some farm animal, and she found the tattoo.
