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in addition to the clothes they’d promised to bring, David beams with pride as he hands Grace her ragged and charred Puppy.
    Grace leaps out of the hospital bed. “You found Puppy!” She squeals with delight as she tears the precious stuffed animal from David’s hands.
    “Sure did. It was right next to where I found you.” He’s grinning ear to ear, utterly pleased with himself for being such a huge help last night.
    “You found me?” Grace asks, disbelief lacing through her words. When David simply nods and smiles, she says, “Wow. You’re like a hero!”
    Wrapping her tiny arms around his waist, Grace squeezes David. The two sets of parents watch in silence as the happy exchange occurs before them.
    Letting go of David, Grace tips her chin over at the TV that she was just watching. “Wanna watch Frosty the Snowman ? The nurses just put it on for me.” Grace doesn’t even wait for David to respond before she pulls him over to the bed. She’s determined never to let her hero move from her side.
    “We really can’t thank you guys enough, especially David. He really is a hero.” Walt shakes hands with John Andrews as Penny and Meredith squeeze the life out of each other – well, as best they can with Meredith’s still-sore wound.
    “We’re glad to help out,” Penny says as she hands over the bags of clothing and toiletries they’d picked up on their way over. “So what will you guys do?” Penny asks cautiously, not wanting to upset Walt and Meredith.
    Pulling his wife to his side, Walt kisses the top of her head. “We’ll be all right. We’re going to go stay with my brother for a bit while we figure things out.”
    “Will you come back to the neighborhood?” Penny and Meredith have hit it off pretty well and she would hate to see them leave for good.
    Shrugging and fighting back tears brought on by uncertainty, Meredith looks over at David and Grace watching TV. “I’d like to, but we’ll just have to wait and see.” She swipes a tear away from her cheek and looks up at Walt – her rock, her savior.
    “Come on, Pen, let’s leave them be for a while.” John extends his hand to Walt, who thanks him for helping them out. “It’s time to go, Dave.” Penny calls for her son and smiles warmly at the sight of little Gracie staring in awe at him.
    “See you around, Gracie.” David ruffles her hair as she holds Puppy tightly at her side.
    If she would have known that was going to be the last time she’d see David Andrews, she would have done more than wave lamely at his retreating back as he exited the room.
     

 

     
    “Can you believe we finally did it?” Jade raises her glass of Merlot and clinks it against my beer.
    “Here’s to six long years!” Dragging out the word long, I laugh before taking a sip of my beer. In one huge gulp, she finishes her drink, all while my lips are still on the rim of my glass. She does not appreciate the look I shoot her across the table.
    “What? We just finished grad school. I can live a little.” Jade arches an eyebrow as she wiggles her finger in my face. “I’m getting another one. You want?”
    Holding up my still very full mug, I eye her over the rim. “Nah, I think I’m good.”
    In true Jade fashion, she sticks out her tongue at me as she struts away from the table. I love this girl, but man she can be a trip sometimes. Having lived with her for four years as college roommates, and the last two while we worked through grad school, I know pretty much everything there is to know about her. Like right now, she’s leaning up against the guy at the bar, slowly dragging her finger down his arm. Stopping at his bicep, she squeezes it and her face twists into one of appreciation. Totally stroking his ego, her main intention is to get a free drink. And oh, would you look at that, a free drink is exactly what she gets. Even though I know she can’t see me, I roll my eyes at her antics.
    When the guy turns toward the bartender to pay, Jade peers