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bad for your… "
    "Lifespan," said Lily, shoving past Tomi. "If I have to miss the end of my soap 'cause I'm breaking up a stupid fight, I'm going to kill both of you! Now, shut up!"
    "Ladies!" Alex said, coming into the room and pushing us apart. Devon plopped back down on the couch, still glaring at me. "What's the problem? I can hear you guys all the way out in the hall."
    "No problem. Devon and I are just getting to know each other." I smiled and Alex just shook his head.
    "I'm going downtown. If anyone wants a ride anywhere, be at the front in ten minutes." He reluctantly turned to go and then came back. "Oh, and Dev," he said, smiling down at Devon. Devon tossed me a smug look and beamed at Alex.
    "Go put some trousers on," said Alex. "'Cause Malibu Barbie called. She wants her skirt back."
    Devon, her face flaming, jumped off the couch and stormed out of the room to the sound of our laughter.

    ****
    Much to my relief, Devon didn't go with us. Tomi decided to stay home, too, to put red streaks in her hair, something she'd been planning to do all week. Wanting to get out of the house, but not to wander around downtown alone, I ended up tagging along with Lily to the nursing home to visit her grandfather. When Alex dropped us off at the Cedarwood nursing home, which was like an ordinary two-story house with white siding and black shutters, Lily's grandfather was waiting on the porch.
    Dr. Hector Flores was sitting in a striped lawn chair. At seventy, he was still a good-looking man with thick, white hair and high cheekbones. He had muscular forearms probably from years of heavy lifting in the garden. Lily also had her grandfather's big brown eyes, though his were blank and empty at the moment.
    " Hola , Papa," Lily said, running up on the porch and throwing her arms around her grandfather. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. He gave her a blank stare and didn't say a word. Lily wasn't at all fazed.
    "Papa, this is my new friend, Mia." Lily said to the old man who seemed not to even notice she was there. "Mia, this is my abuelo ."
    "Hi, Dr. Flores," I said, awkwardly. He was wearing some kind of white plastic monitor on his wrist; I wondered if it was an alarm to alert the staff if he wondered off. The old man glanced briefly at me, and I saw something flicker behind his vacant eyes, but it was gone in an instant.
    "He has good days and bad days. Last time I was here we played checkers for hours, and he talked my ear off about when he was a little boy in Guadalajara. I'd give anything to know where he is right now." Lily stared at her grandfather affectionately as he continued to stare off into space.
    "Well, look who's here, and you've brought a friend," exclaimed a voice from the front door.
    A woman emerged from the house. Her face was round and plain and she had slightly bucked teeth. She was wearing a yellow cotton smock and blue uniform pants with white clogs.
    "Mia, this is Mrs. Sands. She's my grandpa's nurse."
    "Welcome, Mia," Mrs. Sands said warmly. "Can I get you two something to drink?"
    When we nodded, Mrs. Sands left and reappeared a minute later with two glasses of cold lemonade. We were sitting on the porch steps drinking the lemonade when suddenly Mr. Flores became very agitated.
    "Where is Emilio?" he demanded loudly, causing me to almost drop my glass. I was startled by how deep his voice was. Lily was on her feet and at her grandfather's side in an instant.
    "Emilio's gone, Papa. It's me, Lily," she said, trying to sooth the old man. He blinked a couple of times in confusion.
    "Where did he go? He was supposed to be here today. Who are you? I don't know you!"
    "He died, Papa, remember. It was three years ago. A car accident. I'm Lily, your granddaughter."
    The old man blinked again and then started to cry. His shoulders heaved and Lily calmly rubbed his back until he quieted down. My heart broke for him and for Lily, whose eyes were bright with unshed tears.
    "Emilio was my dad," Lily said, in answer