Chapter 77

Patricia followed Susan's advice and fired off a message to Steve. "Hey Steve, if you're still around, I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for what I said and for taking so long to respond. Your words hit home, and yeah, I got pretty emotional. You were right—I lumped all my friends together in one big basket, and that wasn't fair. I know you're not just a statistic; you're a good person. And so are all my pals. I shouldn't have accused you of being like everyone else. You guys are in the top five percent, not the bottom 40. My comment was totally outta line, and I can't even explain why I said it. Luckily, I had these two amazing gals with me who helped me see things clearly. I hope you can forgive me and see the real me someday, when things aren't so crazy. I've been acting out of stress lately with all this monster-chasing business. Hope you understand."

Steve's response came in, forgiving her but also questioning