The matronly counsel from Muriel soothed my frustrations better than I expected, but I imagined her natural aura as a unicorn had something to do with it. Or maybe I just… missed having a mother’s touch. Whatever it was, it made me think back to when Billie had calmly, forgivingly offered me her hand after I terrorized her in the kitchen. I wasn’t the only one that needed compassion. I needed to trust her. Depend on her. But how could I do that, knowing she intended to leave me? I sent a grateful glance to Muriel, but she’d only given me more to worry about. Maybe I needed to express what I truly wanted to Billie. I had to open up, even if doing so could be painful. With my next course of action in mind, I packed some food in a basket, found an old cotton blanket, and waited. The hours

