“Monday at two o’clock?” I asked.

“Monday at two,” Julian said again, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You can come to the clinic with us, Mom.

We can all sit in the exam room together.”

I took a small sip of the warm tea, the herbal taste dry on my tongue.

“All right,” I said.

“I’ll meet you at the clinic.”

Julian smiled, a warm, familiar smile that reached all the way up to his blue eyes.