I knew for sure that would not, however, be the last I saw of the hunter. I should have got his name.

I hadn’t wanted to risk giving him any of mine. Still, there was nothing I could do about that at this point. Except keep an eye out for him and hope he didn’t show up dead or worse.

But I knew I couldn’t force him to get with the program. So, I tried to relax and pretend he wasn’t there until he showed up again.

We got our prom photos back. I framed and hung the best of them. Normality, although not everyone would agree with that.

Something to treasure when Kanesha was old, was more what I was thinking. Through the cycle of her life.

What came after? Then I might not need it. Okay. I tossed the morbid thought out of my mind.

Enjoy what we had while we had it, and try not to worry. If I didn’t live like that I’d spend so much of my energy on worrying I wouldn’t have any left for anything else.

That was why poor people appeared to be stupid, after all. Too much energy worrying about money.

At least I didn’t have to worry about that any more.

Then Monica showed up. I let her in and she grinned at the picture. “You girls look fantastic.”

“I wish I could say the same thing about you.”

She was gaunt, I wasn’t sure how she was on her feet except for sheer force of will and perhaps magic. “Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s not worry.” Worry would imply I could do something about it. No, it was grief, of a sort.

I had to trust Odin, but…

She sat down, almost falling down. “I came to ask you something.”

I nodded.

“I don’t have any family.”

The surprise must have shown.

“Well, I do. We’re very estranged. They think…well, never mind. You’re legally an adult. I want to give you my power of attorney.”

I knew exactly what she was asking. “Me? The one who clings to people like…”

She smiled. “I trust you when the time comes.”
And it wouldn’t be long.

She added, as if to support that thought. “I expect to be back in the hospital in a couple of months. I’m fighting for hospice, insurance doesn’t want to cover it.”

I closed my eyes. “Monica…”

“I trust you.”

This wasn’t something I wanted her to trust me with. Not at all.