Page 81 of The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth

“Seriously?” Veronica shook her head. “How do I keep finding this stuff out?”

“Well, we really haven’t known each other that long. And probably not that many people know who he is.”

“Okay, I guess I don’t have to worry about you financially anymore.”

“Just financially?” Mariah echoed, almost flirtatiously. It felt good to have somebody actually worry. Jill did, of course, but her hands were full right now.

“No, I worry about your future, but I’m trying to mind my own business.” Veronica raised a finger. “Back to the book, ghostwriting, all of that. You should know that I’ve done a lot of writing, but I haven’t written a book. You might want someone more experienced when it comes time. Or the publisher will.”

Mariah cocked her head. “I already know you’re a good writer. You’ve written me a ton of emails.” She leaned on her knees. “Nobody needs to know what you’ve done before—you just do this, and then we’ll get some money for both of us. Henry’s photos will be a big part, too, so naturally we have to pay him. Worth it, though. Wait until you see the pics.”

She looked at Henry, and Mariah saw that he looked back, something loud moving between them. “I believe it,” Veronica said. She drew in a breath. “Okay. Would you ask Jill to take care of the contract when she can?”

“’Course. Do you need an advance now?”

Veronica blushed a cherry shade, all the way down her neck. “No, I’m good. But it would be nice to get this going.” She picked up her paper cup, realized it was empty. “Actually, that’s a lie. I do need some money.”

“Cool. We can work it out.”

“Great.” As if she needed something to do, she popped up. “Want a cup of tea?”

“The plane will board in just a few minutes,” Henry said.

“I’m okay.” Mariah sat up straight, then sank back to the chair, rubbing her temple as if to make the dizziness disappear.

Veronica said, “Have you given much thought to what you might do now?”

“What do you think?” she snapped, and then straightened. “Sorry. I think about it all the time, and I’m just blank. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and I thought I’d be doing it for a lot longer.” She snorted. “A psychic told me I should go to medical school. What a joke. I don’t even like to read.”

“Does it interest you? Medicine? I saw the book on diseases.”

“Well, it’s one thing tothinkabout diseases, epidemics and all that. Who hasn’t thought about that, after the pandemic? It was super interesting when they talked about why it was so bad, and how come people died, and then the big race to find a way to keep it from killing us, and then the virus started like, fighting back, mutating like a video-game monster.”

“Yeah, it was interesting.”

Warming to the subject, Mariah looked at her leg, touched the scars beneath her jeans. “And then, you know, all the stuff that happened with my body after”—a rippling twist of memory, quickly shoved aside—“everything. There was a lot of damage. I was really fucked up. This whole piece of bone was pulverized, and they managed to put enough of it back together that I can walk. That’s crazy, right?”

“It is.” Veronica eyed the leg, but, of course, it looked normal in clothes. “Reading isn’t the most important thing for studying medicine. Especially now, I’m sure, with so much available in audio and all that. Have you ever been tested for eye issues or maybe dyslexia?”

“Why would you ask me that?” She suddenly felt stupid, like she’d given something away.

Veronica waved a hand, dismissing the irritation in almost the same way her mom used to do. “Don’t get in your head about it. I’m just asking because you do like thinking and you’re interested in everything. My oldest son is dyslexic, and he has such bad astigmatism that it took two years to figure out it wasn’t the glasses, it was his brain.”

“Yeah?” Something moved in her heart, a flutter like a wing. “So I don’t have to be a big reader to go to medical school?”

“Well, you’ll have to figure out how to study, but there are a lot of things around to help all kinds of learning differences.”

“Huh.” She narrowed her eyes, peering into a possible future. “I don’t think I want to be a doctor, exactly. Kind of ... too many fluids, you know?”

Veronica laughed. “Yes. Medicine is a big field, and you don’t have to decide anything. Now or ever. But if you want help with the practicalities eventually, I’m your woman.”

Mariah nodded. “Thanks.”

The man behind the desk announced their flight. As they got in line, Henry and Veronica pretended to ignore each other, and Mariah rolled her eyes. “I want to sit by myself this time,” she said, knowing they’d want to sit together but would pretend they didn’t.

“Fine,” Veronica said. She didn’t look at Henry, but he looked at her. And smiled.

Part Four