~o~
For most of her life Suzanne had been forced into self-reliance. There was the brief period when she had been married to Emily's father, when she had someone to care for her but it was usually Suzanne who had needed to do the caring. Now with Ken emerging as a significant friend, she felt that there was someone on whom she could rely. She sat looking into his eyes as they finished their dinner at an Italian restaurant. She had drunk slightly too much Chianti and was feeling relaxed; the most contented she had been for a long time. Suzanne wondered if the attention Ken had been showing her was just because of Emily, or because he felt sorry for her. Or did it go deeper. The message she got from his eyes was of kindness but she could be sure of nothing more.
"Suzanne, I know you have been battling with what course of action to take with Emily." Ken spoke slowly, deliberately, selecting his words with care.
"All I can say is that after seeing her today in the hospital, despite all the technology keeping her alive, I saw a young woman with a life still ahead of her. Don't let anyone pressure you into acting rashly. In my view Emily really is too precious to let go without a fight."
All the advice Suzanne had been given to date was to let Emily go – in her mind a euphemism for nothing less than killing her. Let her find peace. Tony had said and she was starting to be swayed by the arguments. Now finally, Ken's words resonated with her own feelings; at last she felt that she had an ally. Unable to speak for the moment she linked hands and smiled at Ken as her eyes filled with tears.
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