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“I was successful,” I point out.
“You went to the hospital,” Viktor replies.
Maggie laughs into her coffee.
Ivy glances between us before her attention returns to Viktor. A skeptical look crosses her face.
“Wait.” She narrows her eyes. “You didn't come to take me to school, did you?”
The question wipes the amusement from the room.
I set my coffee down. “No.”
The worry leaves her so fast it almost hurts to see. “Good.”
Maggie reaches over and brushes a hand through Ivy's hair. “You don't miss school?”
Ivy immediately shakes her head. “Nope.”
“Not even a little?”
“Nope.”
“What about your friends?” Maggie asks.
Ivy considers that. “They can come here.”
She turns toward me, making certain there’s no misunderstanding. “I'm staying here.”
“You are,” I assure her.
One day she'll go back to school. She'll return to dance classes, afternoons with friends, and all the ordinary parts of childhood that should have remained ordinary. Today isn’t that day. The truth is, I’m not ready to let her out of my sight any more than she's ready to leave it.
Viktor glances toward the foyer before looking back at me. “Luka and I will be ready when you are.”
I nod once.
The meaning is understood without further explanation. Black Tide Logistics still requires my attention, and despite everything that happened at the shelter, the work waiting for me hasn’t disappeared. Luka and Viktor will escort me into the city.
Maggie's phone lights up on the counter. Her expression changes the instant she sees the screen.
Jules.
I already dislike the call.
“Hey,” she answers, sounding worried.
The response comes through loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Maggie, honey, I need you.”
Her posture stiffens. Concern replaces the smile she wore just a few minutes earlier. “What happened?”
Jules releases a long breath. “Everything happened.”
Maggie presses a hand against the counter. “Start from the beginnin’.”
“The donations started arrivin’ before sunrise,” Jules says. “People are droppin’ off food, blankets, supplies, checks, flowers, cards, dog beds, cat toys, and enough treats to keep Mr. Pickles satisfied for the next ten years.”
