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Chapter 1

Isaiah

ELEVEN YEARS, TWO MONTHS, SEVEN days

The last time I had physical contact with a blood relative

The fingers of ht hand grips the stick shift The urge to shift into First, sla lot pulses through my veins

I force ear stick Music could take the edge off, but the bass from the speakers vibrates in a way that could draw attention toin the employee-only lot From here, I can watch the visitors enter and exit the social services building

Ninety o, my mother walked in Now I need to see her walk out With each intake of cold air, the itch to leave grows So does the itch to meet her

The heater died a half hour ago, and the engine stalled twice A fewlist In need of a new resistor, the heater will be a cheap fix

My cell rings Without checking the caller ID, I knoho it is, yet I answer anyway “Yeah ”

“I see you ” Annoyance thickens”

My eyes flicker to the corner s close to her cubicle and six feet from my car Courtney draws the shades and places a hand on her hip Her ponytail swings from side to side like she’s a pissed-off racehorse Fresh out of college, she was assigned ured she couldn’t jack me up more than I already am

“I told you not to schedule a visitation ” I stare at her as if ere in the same room What I like about Courtney? She stares back She’s one of three people who have the guts to hold eye contact with an inked seventeen-year-old with a shaved head and earrings The second one is irl I loved

Courtney sighs and the ponytail stills “It’s Christht you presents She’s waited patiently for a thirty-o ”

Waited Patiently My neck tightens and I roll it fro person “Ten years ”

I throw those tords at her every time she mentions my mother Courtney drops her chin to her throat “Don’t do this She had her reasons, and she wants to talk to you ”