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Haven blinked away tears as one by, so she took a deep breath and started writing She wrote whatever caood parent never gave up and always encouraged their children to dream

The instructor called time as Haven put a period on the end of the final sentence The rest of testing flew by, and they were dis in the fire lane with the er seat

Carmine turned his music down as he pulled from the curb "How did you do?"

She smiled softly as he offered her his hand "Okay"

Neither spoke on the drive back to Durante When they arrived at the house she went right to the kitchen toto eat Carmine sat on the counter beside the stove and watched her as she cooked "Are youenchiladas?"

She nodded "They were, uhood," Carmine said

"Thanks"

"We can eat and watch a "

"Okay"

"Or ao straight to bed"

"Okay"

"Probably won’t even fucking eat"

"Uh, okay"

The roolared at Haven His shift in demeanor startled her "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine," he said "You, I’m not sure about Since I picked you up, you’ve barely said a dozen words and half of the happen?"

"No"

"Did you fail?" He raised his eyebrows "Did you freak out or soed as she said that word again

"Then what’s wrong?"

"I’ about my mama"

"You wanna talk about her?" he asked, his voice quiet and genuine, all traces of frustration melted away "You don’t have to keep it to yourself"

"I know, but I don’t knohat to say I ot to tell her good-bye or that I love her It hurts to think about, because I used to wonder if we even loved each other, but I realized today Mama did love me And I love her, but I never told her that"

"Never?"

"Never," she whispered as Car her "I shouldn’t be crying about this to you because you have rieve My mama’s alive, and yours is"

He flinched before she could speak the word She pulled froize, but he pressed his pointer finger to her lips "My mom lived, Haven She was free tostupid decisions, and she died because of it Your mom has never been able to rieve than I do"

Sunny Oaks Manor was anything but sunny today A storusts of wind bent the fli lit up the darkened afternoon sky, ht

Vincent stood in histhe ambulance parked outside The EMTs, in their vivid yellow raincoats, loaded the black body bag into the back Quietly, he n of the cross and whispered a short prayer

"Don’t pray for that old hag," Gia said, so aides "It’s her own fault she’s dead"

"How?" The staff said Gertrude died peacefully in her sleep

"She left heropen last week I tried to warn her, but she wouldn’t listen That black bird flew in like it owned the place"

Vincent sighed "I don’t think it was the bird, Ma"

Gia waved him off "What do you know?"

"Well, I a about," she said "You alant to give people pills and take their blood from them when it’s unnecessary God doesn’t make mistakes, Vincenzo People die when they deserve to You know that"