The weather had turned warm again, so Lori sat outside at a picnic table near the campus cafeteria, eating her lunch. She munched on a carrot stick, trying to reassure herself that she'd made the right decision regarding Eric.
"Wake up, Lori. You're a million miles away." The deep bass voice was fondly teasing.
Lori looked up and smiled. "Ben! Where were you all weekend?"
Her downstairs neighbor smiled widely and plunked his lunch tray down across from hers. "Went to visit my Dad," he told her. "He's out of the hospital now and settling in at home with the nurse."
"That's great," she replied sincerely. "Still causing trouble?"
Ben Montoya nodded. His father Raul was way too crotchety to let a little thing like cancer get him down for long. Lori had met the older man once when he'd vis
