If the uncharacteristic outflow surprised Mary, she didn’t show it. I wondered if she would consider this a breakthrough or a breakdown. Either way, she typed notes into her computer instead of scribbling them into a notepad, as had been her previous habit. Zola had those scribbles now. I wished I’d asked Mary to see them before so I could better guess what kinds of conclusions Zola was drawing about me. Not that she’d been subtle about sharing them thus far.
“I’m pleased that you’ve spoken to Thad and Amber.” Mary always named them, never referring to them as the ex-husband or my daughter. “And that it went reasonably well, given the circumstances.”
“The circumstances of a dragon trying to kidnap Amber twice? Yes.”
“And you’re now referring to your crafting acquaintances as friends.” M
