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I didn’t need Lance to look out for h chaos throughout my life with Mom to be able to survive a year with row up and be a man when Mom and I didn’t have one around

Leaning against the bus stop pole, I dropped round “It’s fine The bus is pulling up right now, anyway,” I lied She would’ve kept er than I wanted to talk “I’ll call you later, all right?”

“Fine Call me later Or I’ll call you I’ll call you, okay? And, Levi?”

“Yes?”

“I love you till the end”

I echoed the words she’d been saying to e love for The Pogues’ song “Love You Till The End” for so room at least once a day

The whole bus ride to Dad’s I wondered what kind of music played in his house

I was betting it wasn’t The Pogues

The closest the city bus could get me to the town Dad stayed in left me with a twentyclouds overhead It started to drizzle about halfway through, so I hurriedan aard speed walk/slow run movement

When I finallyin his front lawn The hood was banged up, one headlight was broken, and he hadn’t bothered to close the driver’s door The front porch had a flickering light that hardly attracted any flies or moths There was a lawn chair in the yard that looked like it had been sitting there since 1974 and a half eaten TV dinner was lying against the brownish grass

The best thing that could’ve happened to his laas the rain falling overhead

I stepped onto the wooden porch, which squeaked and whined every tiood chance it would fall apart just froht

The black door ung open, so I didn’t bother to knock

“Dad?”

There was no reply

Stepping out of the foyer, I saw hi room couch At least the house is cleaner than the front lawn His legs were hanging over the arainst the cushions but didn’t wake Seeing hiht on such ry all at once I wanted to yell at hi me come back after all of these years