“That had nothing to do with this. They wanted you to have a fresh start, with a husband and a family at the right time.”

“They were wrong, and so was I. You'll never know what it felt like … that emptiness when I went home … with nothing … with no one … nothing will ever replace that.” She took a deep breath. “I haven't seen Danny since I went into the home in Maryland … and I'll never know where the baby is.… I graduated with my class…,” with a lead weight in her heart, “… and no one knew what I felt.…” Tana shook her head, watching her. They were both women now. It had been hard earned, hard won, and it was too soon to know if things would get better in time, but one thing they both knew as they walked slowly home, and that was that they each had a friend. Tana pulled Sharon off the stump, and they hugged each other tight, their tears fell on each other's cheeks, each feeling the other's pain, as much as they could.

“I love you, Shar.” Tana looked at her with her gentle smile, and Sharon dried her eyes.

“Yeah … me too.…”

And they walked home arm in arm, in the silent night, went back to Jasmine House, got undressed and into their beds, each with her own thoughts.

“Tan?” It was Sharon's voice in the dark room.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“For what? Listening? That's what friends are for … I need you too.”

“My father was right, you know. You've got to move on in life.”

“I guess.” But how? “Did he have any suggestions about how to pull that on?”

Sharon laughed at that. “I'll have to ask him that.” And then suddenly, she had an idea. “Why don't you ask him yourself? Why don't you come home for Thanksgiving with me?”

Tana mulled it over from her bed, with the beginnings of a smile. She liked the idea. “I don't know what my mother will say.” But all of a sudden she wasn't sure she cared, and if she did, it wasn't as much as she would have cared six months before. Maybe it was time to try her wings and do what she wanted to do. “I'll call her tomorrow night.”

“Good.” Sharon smiled sleepily and turned over in her bed, with her back to her friend. “G'night, Tan.…” And a moment later, they were both asleep, more at ease than either of them had been in months, Tana's hands cast childlike above the blond hair, and Sharon cuddled up into a little black purring ball. Even the long legs seemed to disappear and she looked like a kitten as she slept peacefully.





“Are you sure?” She didn't want to insist, but she would have preferred it if Tana were coming back. “You don't know this girl very well.…”