Free Soul and Shadow by Susan J McLeod Page A

myself to their Moroccan Stew, a delicious blend of vegetables, cumin, and ginger. I still could not locate Katy, so I set off into the bright afternoon sunshine by myself. However, I was not destined to be alone for long. The first person I saw when I walked into the restaurant was Stephen.
    " Lily! " He stood up from his table and held out his arms. I hugged him, then stepped back to return his smile. " I like the beard, " I said.
    " Thanks. " He rubbed his hand over the neat goatee. " I had to do something. People were taking me for a first year student! "
    I knew what he meant. Stephen had a fresh, youthful look about him, with close-cut sandy hair and big brown eyes. Even the stress of his profession had not added any lines to that smooth skin.
    " The beard helps, " I acknowledged. " Now you just need some thick, horn-rimmed glasses. "
    " A good idea in theory, but I don ' t want my patients thinking I might not be able to see. " He indicated the extra chair. " Can you sit down for awhile? "
    " Sure, " I said. " Have you ordered yet? "
    " No. I ' ve never been here before. It ' s nice and close to the hospital, though. When did it open? "
    " About six months ago. The food is wonderful. Try the vegetable pita with tzaziki sauce. You ' ll like it. "
    " Okay. I ' m game. " He leaned back and smiled at me again. " It ' s so great to see you, Lily. You look happy. How ' s the job going? "
    " Fine. It ' s been really interesting working with Dr. Briggs. And guess what he did today? He asked me if I ' d consider illustrating his next book. "
    Stephen whistled. " Hey kid, you ' ve hit the big time. I always knew you had the talent. Congratulations. "
    " Thanks, " I said, feeling absurdly pleased with his approval. It had always been Stephen, the over-achiever, in the spotlight before. I realized that after a year of adjustments, I was coming into my own, and I liked it.
    The waitress came and took our order, and Stephen and I chatted with no trace of awkwardness. I was surprised at how relaxed it was. It could have been falling into old patterns, but I preferred to think of it as a mark of maturity. We each felt comfortable enough with ourselves to be ourselves. Later, perhaps, we would talk about what had happened between us. But for now, I was relieved to simply be visiting with a friend.
    We spent an hour at the restaurant, just catching up. He told me about his work, and listened attentively as I told him about mine. I mentioned meeting Dame Ursula and Kent, without going into detail, but Stephen knew me well. " So you ' re serious about him, Lily? I hope he ' s good enough for you. " And that was all he said.
    He insisted on paying for lunch when we were finished. " It ' s a celebration, isn ' t it? And I still want to go out for drinks. Call me sometime, all right? "
    I returned to the office in a much better mood than when I had left. It was elevated even higher when I saw a huge bouquet of flowers sitting on my desk. It was a stunning display of color in a milk-white vase, with a little teddy bear perched among the greenery. The card read ' Congratulations. Well done! Until tomorrow, love, Kent. '
    I exclaimed out loud in delight, and Katy materialized by my side. " What did I tell you? " she asked. " No pining if you weren ' t sure he was going to leave. And it doesn ' t seem as if he intends to. Maybe he really cares about you, too. "
    I wrapped that thought around me like a soft blanket, and floated through the rest of the day.

 
    Chapter Twelve
     
    The next day seemed determined to bring me back down to Earth. I overslept by half an hour and awoke to find pouring rain, a soggy newspaper, and no milk in the house. I had forgotten this staple yesterday at the store, while remembering all of the exotic ingredients needed to make a special dish for Kent. At least I have my priorities straight , I thought wryly.
    I rushed to get ready without the benefit of my powdered breakfast drink. The blouse I pulled from the