Suddenly, she giggled, making me smile. “What is it?”

She leaned across the table and whispered, “I think Miss Robertson fancies Uncle Aidan.”

I chuckled at her mischief. “Yeah? You trying to play matchmaker?”

Sylvie wrinkled her nose. “Nah. Uncle Aidan has been all over the world and he’s dated some of the most beautifulest ladies I’ve ever seen.”

Feeling put out for Miss Robertson, I reminded her gently, “Beauty is only skin deep.”

“Mum used to say that too.” Sylvie nodded. “But I don’t think she told Uncle Aidan that.”

I burst out laughing before I could stop myself. Her uncle sounded like quite the character.

“Do you have an uncle?” Sylvie asked suddenly.

Sobering at the mention of family, I shook my head. “No.” Neither of my parents had siblings.

“Are your mum and dad in America?”

“They are.”

“They must miss you.”

The thought was a deep ache in my chest. Too deep. Too painful. “What about you? Is Uncle Aidan your only other relative?”

“My nana and grandad live in England so I only see them every now and then. My dad doesn’t have parents. He was in foster care when he was growing up.”

“What is your dad’s job?” I found it telling that Sylvie was so excited to talk about her uncle Aidan and his career, but she’d yet to offer up much on her father.

“He’s an engineer.” She said. “I don’t know what that means.”

“It means he’s very smart.”

She nodded. “I suppose.”

I frowned. “Sometimes adults get busy, huh?”

A surprisingly mulish expression appeared on her face. “Uncle Aidan always makes time.”

The hero worship she had for him was off the charts. I almost felt sorry for her dad. And basically anyone who was competing for her affection. Her uncle sounded like an experienced, cultured, intimidating, mythical being.

Uncle Aidan was clearly a superhero and not of this planet.

The next week Sylvie was there again, this time having begged her uncle to drop her off at the hospital to take part in the reading and sit with me a little while. I couldn’t stay as long with her, however, because I’d promised Seonaid I’d meet her for lunch. Leaving Sylvie in the capable hands of Jan, I took off reluctantly. Despite how ill-at-ease Seonaid could make me feel, I also needed her, and that’s why I wouldn’t put so much space between us that it would damage our friendship.

We were meeting at her favorite coffee place, The Caffeine Drip, in New Town, a good thirty-minute walk on an average day. It became forty-five minutes during the Fringe, as I tried to maneuver my way through the crowded streets. The temperature was warm but the dark clouds above and the humidity suggested a storm was coming. By the time I got to the coffee shop, my clothes were sticking to me and I was thankful for my short hair.

“You’ve put weight on,” Seonaid said, hugging me.

I raised an eyebrow as I pulled back. “Is that good?”

She gave me a reassuring smile. “You were looking a little thin.”

The truth was I did have more of an appetite lately. I didn’t know if it was the kids, or if meeting Sylvie had put things into perspective for me, but I was feeling a little more aware. Like I’d been unconscious for a while, but something was stirring me awake.

“I feel fine.”

“Good.” She scrutinized me.

I was grateful when the friendly waitress appeared to take our order, breaking my friend’s gaze. Once the waitress was gone, I attempted to guide the conversation away from myself. “How’s work?”

“Usual.” She shrugged. “Busy.”

Seonaid loved talking about her work, which meant she was deliberately trying to steer conversation back to me.

Crap.

“And how’s …” I scrambled to remember the name of the guy she’d been dating recently. When Jim died, Fergus had been less than supportive. It was too much for him and he broke up with Seonaid just when she needed him the most. Although it was awful, I think it was the best thing that could’ve happened to Seonaid. It woke her up to the kind of men she’d been dating. From then on, she’d decided to only date nice guys, no matter how sexy they were or weren’t to her. She tried online dating, and had unfortunately gone through a stream of really nice guys who didn’t turn her on.

“Frank,” she supplied with a sigh. “Frank is gone. Frank could not find the clit so bye-bye, Frank.”

I gave a bark of laughter. “Poor Frank.”

“Hey, Frank was ten years older than me. If he hasn’t found the clit in the twenty-odd years he’s been having sex, then Frank is either lazy or clueless. Neither appealed to me.”

Smirking, I nodded. “Got it.”

“Anyway, despite Frank, I’m enjoying online dating. I’ve met some interesting people, and made friends with the guys who I didn’t connect with sexually.”

“I’m glad.” I was not glad for the speculative look in her eyes.

“So, I was thinking maybe you could set up a profile on the dating site I use.”

And there it was.

“I don’t think so.”

“It would get you out of the house.”

“I don’t have a house.”

“Flat. It would get you out of that dinky, depressing little flat you hibernate in.”

“I don’t hibernate.”

“Going to work and volunteering at a hospital does not equate to socializing.”

“I disagree.”

“Nora, please think about it. I don’t want to push, but I’m worried about you. It’s like you’re refusing to move on.”

The waitress reappeared with our food. Once she’d left, I looked at my plate, my annoyance and guilt fighting with one another. I picked up my fork and knife, my fingers curling tightly around them in irritation before I could use them to cut into my panini. Unable to look at her for fear she’d see the emotion roiling in my eyes, I said with quiet sternness, “I’m not online dating. You don’t want to push me, then don’t push me.”

Awkward silence fell over the table as we made a show of eating. Finally, unable to bear her hurt silence anymore, I queried, “How’s Roddy?”

Apparently, it was the right thing to ask because Seonaid blew out a beleaguered breath. “He’s messing around with the new barmaid at Leith’s Landing. I don’t know what he sees in her. She’s as dull as dishwater. All she does is pout and giggle.”

“And give him sex with no strings attached.” I nudged the hornet’s nest.

Seonaid’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what he thinks. But I can see she’s trying to wrangle him into a relationship. I swear to God if he even thinks about settling down with that spoon, I will end him.”

“Why do you care who he settles down with?”

She gave me a duh look. “It’s Roddy.”

“Surely, we should be happy for him, no matter who he ends up with?”

“I’d quite like to hear you say that to him the next time he complains about one of my boyfriends.”

God, I wanted smack their heads together. Could two people be more blind about how they felt for each other?

“Fair enough.”

“So …” She studied me in that thoughtful way of hers. “Tell me about the volunteering.”

“What do you want to know?”

“I want to know that you’re not surrounding yourself with children who aren’t going to be here in a year’s time.”

Understanding her concern, I gave her a reassuring smile. “Some of the kids are pretty sick but most aren’t terminal. Some of those poor kids are too ill to sit in a room and listen to me tell stories or play games. I’m fine. In fact, this one kid isn’t even sick,” I said, grinning as I thought about Sylvie. “Her mom was a nurse there …” I went on to tell her about Sylvie and her guardian, the epic Uncle Aidan.

“He sounds hot,” Seonaid decided.