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She couldn’t decide if the food tasted good and comforted her, or if her dinner companion smoothed the rough edges of everything. Audrey found herself smiling and relaxing and wondered how to hold these moments close. Even when they discussed Jason Byrd, his diagnoses and arrest record, it was easier with someone she trusted.
They both declined cappuccinos and dessert but lingered at the table. Most of the patrons had left. The remaining waitstaff were occupied with discreet cleaning and hugging the shadows along the walls until they perceived that their presence was requested at a table.
Ross listened as Audrey explained her day and how she arrived at the conclusion that her job was likely the cause of her physical symptoms. She tossed out several rhetorical questions, and when her s
