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bend like that.
    “Cristal wanted to tell you that she’s better,” Marley said.
    “I’m glad to hear that.”
    Cristal held up something.
    “What have you got there?” Aaron said.
    “Genie.” Cristal hugged the light green plush character.
    “That’s her favorite character,” Marley said. “She saw it in a children’s book at her day care center.”
    “Interesting. Why do you like Genie?”
    “He can give me a flying carpet if I want one.”
    Aaron nodded. “I’d like to have one of those.”
    “Then I could fly real high and find my daddy.”
    Marley stroked Cristal’s hair. “She really misses her father.”
    “And … and I’ll save my third wish for when I grow up.”
    “That’s smart. Have you already made your first two wishes?” Aaron said.
    “Yeah. One was for my daddy to come home.”
    “That’s a good wish. What’s the second one?”
    “I want to talk with the cows like Mr. Belkin does.”
    “Mr. Belkin talks to his cows?”
    “I don’t know where she got that,” Marley said.
    Cristal looked up at Marley. “Mommy, I’ve heard him talk to the cows.”
    Marley patted Cristal’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m sure you’re right.”
    Cristal nestled Genie in her arms and rubbed his turban. “And sometimes they talk back.”
    Aaron smiled at Marley, and then looked at Cristal. “I might ask Mr. Belkin about that. I’d like to learn to talk with cows, too.”
    In the hallway, Marley turned to Aaron. “I don’t mean to meddle, but I wonder if you could look into something?”
    “Sure.”
    “A family lives down the street from my house. The Taggetts. You met Wanda at the diner, remember?”
    Aaron nodded.
    “Sid is her husband, and Race is her son. I’m worried about them. I hear that Sid is very ill, and no one seems concerned. Could you look in on them?”
    “I will.”
    Marley smiled. “Good.”
    He watched Marley as she and Cristal walked out the front door of the clinic.
    I have to get to know her better.
     
    A few minutes later, Stella approached Aaron in the hall. “A drug rep is here to meet you. I know him well. He’s sharp, but a little strange.”
    Aaron nodded and Stella returned with a well-groomed man, medium height, thin and angular.
    Aaron offered a handshake, and the man responded with a fist bump.
    “Hi, I’m one of your local drug reps. I cover middle East Texas.” He rocked up and down on his heels.
    “That’s a big area.”
    “It sure is. I put a lot of mileage on my car, but I enjoy the job.” He lifted his briefcase to the hallway counter. “It’s great to have a doc around here again.”
    Aaron smiled. “Do you have any freebies today?”
    “Sure, always.” The rep laid writing pens and pads out on the counter. He aligned the pens in a level parallel row and stacked the pads in a flush pile.
    He stood back and admired his work and then launched into a spiel about an antibiotic he was promoting for the treatment of sinusitis, bronchitis, and ear infections, rocking on his heels as he spoke. After he finished, he rubbed his hands with an antiseptic wipe.
    “I’ll keep your antibiotic in mind, when it’s indicated,” Aaron said. The rep handed Aaron a few drug samples and discount coupons for patients.
    “Are you a runner?” he asked Aaron.
    “Not now, but I need to get back into jogging.”
    “Great. There’s a 5K run coming up soon. I’ll get the information to you.”
    “That may be just the incentive I need.”
    The rep turned to Stella. “Was that Marley Brighton I saw driving away from here?”
    “Yes.”
    “I haven’t seen her in a while. I was in school with her husband, Forrester.”
    “Lucky you,” Stella said.
    He laughed and turned to leave. “See you next time.”
    Aaron watched the rep use hand wipes after he walked out the front door.
     
    Stella knocked on Aaron’s office door.
    “Come in.”
    She and Juliana stepped inside.
    “I called the hospital this morning,” Stella said. “Preston was admitted