Chapter 12

Sunday morning, Cassandra gave Andre his pill and served him breakfast in bed.

"Don't get too used to this pampering!" she teased, and he smiled at her from behind his bangs as he munched on peanut-butter toast. When he was done, she got him into a chair as she pulled the sheets from the sofa bed and dumped them into the laundry bag. She folded the bed back into the sofa and put the cushions back, so he'd have somewhere to rest while she cleaned the sheets. She helped ease him back onto the couch.

"I'll be back in ninety minutes," she said. "Will you be okay?"

"Yes," he said with a smile.

With a last nod, she left the apartment and headed downstairs.

It was still early, so she lucked out and had her pick of machines. She got two washers going, one for clothes and one for the sheets and towels. She cracked open her paperback and settled herself on a chair to wait.

Laundry day sucked.

***

At ninety minutes, the alarm on Andre's phone ran