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right?
Maybe she’s still having her nightmare. Charles looks real and she
remembers driving BB. She reacts instinctively. “Yes it is a
beautiful day. Good morning Charles. Why are you here?”
    Franklin yells out from down the hall and quickly
walks toward her with a big smile. “There you are. We thought you’d
never get here. Everyone is here and Charlotte brought in a
breakfast buffet.”
    “It’s seven. It’s Saturday.” She feels stupid
because that’s the only thing she can think of to say. She’s always
here on Saturday morning, but no one else is.
    “Yes it is Saturday, isn’t it?” Franklin laughs.
“And to prove it we’re all wearing jeans and sneakers.”
    She looks at him from head to toe. She’s never seen
Franklin in anything but a suit. “You look good.”
    “That’s what Evelyn says. She says I look sexy in
jeans.”
    “Turn around.”
    He does and she hears a giggle. Judy doesn’t giggle,
but there’s no one else around except Charles, and she doesn’t
think he would giggle. “She’s right you do look sexy.” Her mouth
speaks disrespectfully to Franklin all by itself.
    Still holding her coffee, Charles opens the door to
the conference room and she’s greeted with “good morning” times
ten.
    “Did I call a special meeting?” She’s confused and
knows it shows, but she can’t help it.
    “Franklin did. Now come and get breakfast before
Chad eats it all.” Charlotte pushes her to the long table that sits
quietly under the far windows. She never used that table for
anything. It came with the table and chairs.
    She stands in front of food. The last thing she ate
was Steven’s green/gray sludge yesterday after her lunchtime
workout. She stares at all the food, not having any idea what she
wants or if she wants anything. The nightmare and then she vomited.
Can she eat? It looks good . . .
    “We haven’t got all day, Miss Mason.”
    Charlotte grabs a pretty pink and flower pattern
china plate and starts loading it up with pancakes, scrambled eggs,
bacon and a biscuit. “Grape or strawberry?”
    “Grape,” Judy’s mouth speaks.
    Charlotte adds a huge pat of butter to the pancakes
and covers them with a dark liquid from a green can that has the
word “Vermont” on it.
    She shoves the plate at her. “Go eat. I bet you
didn’t have dinner.”
    How does she know?
    The conversation is animated and friendly. Everyone
seems happy to be here. The terrible nightmare, throwing up at the
end of it, she drinks the entire mug of coffee without stopping.
She remembers drinking it, but when she looks down, it’s full.
    Franklin is staring at her. Concern is written all
over his face. Judy realizes she must look awful. She brushed her
teeth and washed her face. Other than that she’s the same as when
she finished her stupid and frightening run last night with a black
car stalking her.
    Franklin takes over the meeting and she’s left with
nothing to do but look down at her plate and try to pay attention.
Charlotte is watching to see if she likes it. She doesn’t want to
upset a very nice and thoughtful woman, but she’s not sure she can
eat.
    Her Mom’s battered and bloody face is floating in
and out of the shiny Vermont syrup. She decides to start with the
eggs. They taste good and Mom’s not there. She looks up. Charlotte
smiles and turns her attention to Franklin.
    She’s been half listening but now mostly eating. She
doesn’t really remember the last time she had an entire meal. A
cookie here and there, a piece of candy from an employee’s desk, a
sandwich from the kitchen vending machine and of course, Steven’s
green/gray sludge, is all she remembers having eaten recently.
    Her plate is empty except for the pancakes. Mom’s
still there. She flips over the top pancake with the syrup on it
and she disappears. Judy eats both and finishes her coffee. She’s
not really sure, but her mug has taken on magic properties. It has
an endless source of fresh coffee in it. She drinks