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information anyway? It’s taking up room in my brain that should be devoted to something else.”
    “Like what—all the fruit you spend hours drawing?” I tease. She knows I love her artwork, but she also knows that I find still life paintings of food incredibly boring…and also somewhat tempting when I’ve already had my calories for the day. We currently have four paintings of food up in our house—one in the kitchen, two in Mandy’s room, and one in the hallway.
    At least they’re not pictures of birds. {A nice big welcome back to The Beatles with “The Long and Winding Road.” } Perhaps I should check my email again.
    “So when is your next shrink appointment, Callie?” Melanie asks, somehow following my train of thought.
    “Next Wednesday. Two fifteen.”
    “When do they give you the magic pills?” Mandy chimes in from the loveseat.
    “I don’t know. They want to know pretty much everything about me before they’ll give me any medication.”
    “They?” Mandy asks.
    “She has a real doctor and a busy surrogate doctor right now,” Melanie answers before I can even start to explain the situation. Much simpler the way she puts it, I’m sure.
    Before either of them have a chance to ask more questions, Monica starts singing “Delta Dawn” on the television.
    We all know our conversation is going to have to be put on hold for now.
    Initially, we begin singing in unison, taking care to stay in pace with Monica. That only lasts for a few seconds though. I continue to sing the melody while Mandy quickly creates a descant and Melanie hums harmonic notes. Poor Monica can’t even be heard anymore. That’s probably for the best, though, because I don’t think we are even singing the same version as she is.
    We all stand. Mandy takes the straw out of her margarita and uses it as the world’s smallest microphone. Melanie grabs a fake flower from the arrangement on the end table and pushes it behind my ear, without missing a note.
    By the time we get to our big finish, Monica has been done singing for at least a minute and a half. Melanie and I plop back down on the couch, but Mandy announces that it’s time for her to call Josh. She grabs her cell phone and heads upstairs to her room.
    “How long will this call last?” Melanie asks in a nauseated voice.
    “At least forty-five minutes. Be nice,” I tease. “She could be sleeping around with all the other college sophomores on campus.” And then I’d have to move out. I have a hard enough time when she has friends over who may or may not be sleeping with multiple guys. Just the thought of her sorority sisters makes me want to stop everything and disinfect the living room. Thank God I have my own bathroom…
    “I’m not saying anything. They’ve been pulling off this long distance thing much longer than I would’ve bet on.” Yeah—much better than I did . Is she thinking that too? She reaches over to me and takes the fake white rose out of my hair.
    “If I have forty-five minutes, I’m going to take my shower now.” She stands up and puts the rose back in its vase before walking to the hall bathroom.
    As I straighten up the living room, rearranging the throw pillows and taking my empty margarita glass to the kitchen, I decide that now is probably a good time to check my email. So, after washing my glass, drying it, and putting it back in the cupboard, I head upstairs. I can hear Mandy giggling across the hall as I step into my room and gently shut the door.
    Laptop open. One email from DA Blake.
    The subject line reads, “Follow-up Question.” Count. Click.
     
     
     
Calista,
3.) 1,400. Every single day?
    -Dr. Blake
     
     
     
    Count. Reply.
     
     
     
Dr. Blake,
3.) Always 1,400. Yes.
    -Calista
     
     
     
    One. Two. Three. Send. Empty inbox. Shut laptop.
    When I get back to the living room, Melanie is on the couch playing some word game on her phone. We decide to begin Disc 4.
    Mandy comes back in after we finish about half of an