Nic stood in the parking lot leaning against her car. She was stalling for time and she knew it. She was twenty minutes early, but she recognized some of the group members’ cars already parked in the lot. A car several rows over caught her eye. The dark blue, late-model Honda with hailstone dents all over it was there in the back. She started to walk over to it but was cut off by Rod’s white van.
“Hey, Nic, how are you?”
“Rod? What’re you doing here, buddy?”
He smiled the biggest smile she’d seen in a long time.
“My counselor said I could come by group, see everyone, and give them an update.”
“That’s great.” What Nic wanted to say was, thank God I don’t have to do this anymore, but she didn’t. He hadn’t said he could take the group back, just that he could come by and say hi. Baby ste
