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me, I felt a sting o n my arm.  He must have had a buckle or something on his luggage that snagged my arm.  It's only a scratch.  I wi ll be fine. "   Salma quietly responded as she retrieved an alcohol wipe from her bag .  She cleaned the thin red cut to ensure that it would not get infected.  Afterward, she put it out of her mind.
    " Well then, let's talk about something more interesting.  T ell me how married life is treating you.  You seem quite happy.  Have you and Ben found any outdoor activities to enjoy yet? "   C a eli asked verbally this time.
    " Shame on you!  You ask the most inappropriate questions. "   A strong blush came over Salma's cheeks. 
    " I can't help it, Salma.  You two are perfect together, and it i s nice to see how happy you are as a newlywed.  Besides, the thought of Ben s eems to have s uccessfully t aken your mind off other worries.  You don't seem nearly as tense, " C a eli laughed openly, and Salma joined her.
    " Ok , you win.  But you a re a fine one to talk.  You are absolutely bubbling with excitement.  This vacation is already taking your mind off your job.  You keep this up and Vin might insist that you not return to work at all .  Why have you been working so much recently ? " Salma fired back . 
    Even though C a eli was a happy person, she was also a diligent worker , much the same as Salma .  And C a eli, too, enjoyed her work.  Taking time away from her clients for herself was not something she did very often, at least, not until recently.  After the life-changing ordeal months earlier, Vin encourag ed C a eli to cut back on her workload, as he had done , and spend more time with him.  Financially, they could afford to earn a little less .  T hough they were not abundantly wealthy , they were financially secure thanks to Kent's irrevocable life insurance check.  However, C a eli was still having trouble making the adjustment.  It was hard for her to say no to her loyal clients.
    " One of my long-time clients had a big project, but it ' s finished now.  However, you have remind ed me of the favor I need.  You see, there may come a time very soon when I am not able to work as much, and…"
    "Not able to work?  Why not?  Are you sick?  Has something happened that I don't know about?"  Salma was suddenly concerned.
    "No, I'm not sick ; I don't think .  Yes, something has happened.  That's the favor I need."
    "I'm confused.  What favor?"
    "Salma, I need you to run a blood test for me.  Can you do that once we get settled?"
    "I am sure I can.  What am I testing for?"
    C a eli's smile could have lit an entire room.
    "You aren't?  You are!  How long have you known?"  Salma asked enthusiastically, picking up on C a eli's implication.
    "I am not certain.  That is why I need confirmation.  I took one of those drugstore tests this morning, and the readout was not entirely clear.  I don't trust the results, though I'm still pretty sure. I would prefer to have a real test before I tell Vin on Friday ," C a eli beamed .
    "Oh, this is wonderful!  Of course I will run the test for you."
    "And not a word to Vin.  Promise me !   I want this to be a surprise," C a eli insisted with an uncontainable enthusiasm .
    "Yes, yes, of course.  So, tell me more.  How far along do you think you are?"
    " Sorry .  I don't want to say anything else about it until I can tell Vin.  It i s only fair that he get to hear the details first.  Besides, I would rather hear more about your work.  Your article was fascinating.  Do you really think the treatment s you're testing will help stop the spread of the blood diseases you mentioned ? "
    " Oh, Dear, I understand and, yes, Vin should be the first one to share all the details.  I am so excited for you.  I will gladly do the test and, I promise I will say no more until you and Vin have talked.  But, be prepared afterward because Aunt Salma can hardly wait to tell Uncle Ben!  As for my work and the treatments, I sure