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"We were born old," Teri said with a sad look "The education we got wasn’t in history or literature, it was in the ways of the world"

That was true Having grown up with an alcoholic mother and a series of stepdads and "uncles," Christie knew they’d both been robbed of a nored the subject "--what are you taking?"

Christie’s heart raced with exciteraphy"

Teri’s eyes widened "Why photography? I didn’t know you had any interest in that"

"I didn’t until recently" She ent to pay my car insurance premium--while I still had a car--and he was on the phone" It’d been one of those rare instances, Christie realized later, when an opportunity had presented itself at precisely the rightthe fact that there isn’t anyone locally to document household inventory for hoot off the phone, I asked hi to do this, and he told raphy and Eleh, he had two assignive ents in town"

"That’s great!"

Christie shrugged "I started the class last week and there’s a lota picture than you’d think This isn’t just point and shoot I have to learn about lighting and lenses and all kinds of stuff"

"But you’ll get there"

Teri’s confidence in her was reassuring Christie sipped her tea again, then decided she couldn’t delay this any longer With a deep breath, she looked up at her sister

"Do you knohy I’m here?"

Teri didn’t answer; instead, she reached for her own tea Her dark hair was pulled away from her face and secured at the nape of her neck and she wore no makeup at all Under ordinary circu her hair and applying lip gloss That was the bare ahtened and h the words had nearly stuck in her throat

"How much?"

"I need reliable transportation"

"You mean a new car?"

"Yes Well, no A used car"

"Have you found one?"

"Not yet…"

"Will five thousand be enough?" Teri asked

Christie nearly sed her tongue "No"

"Ten?"

"No, no, I meant five thousand would be far too much" Christie fully intended to pay back every penny, with interest If her credit rating hadn’t been ruined, she would’ve applied for a bank loan But that was out of the question now Reestablishing her credit was taking far longer than she’d thought it would

"Three thousand?"

"I was thinkingthe lines of one thousand," Christie said She should be able to repay that ah! You’d only be getting yourself another junker We’ll begin with five thousand," Teri insisted

"Teri…I can’t"

"You can and you will, and that’s the end of it"

Undecided, Christie bit her lip "You’ll want to talk this over with Bobby"

Teri sipped her tea "I already did He only had one stipulation"

Maybe Christie should’ve been surprised that her sister had known the purpose of her visit, but she wasn’t "Which is?"

"That you let soht car"

"Okay" She didn’t want to ad a vehicle Generally she looked at the interior The cleanliness and appearance of the car indicated hoell the previous owner had cared for the engine--at least, that was her theory Perhaps not a very accurate basis for judgto do the research"

"What’s his nauy in the business Let Bobby handle it, okay?"

"Okay" Christie had no objection to that; in fact, she was grateful "Fine by uy doesn’t mind, have him pick it out and buy it I don’t need to be there," she told her sister Besides, between her job at Wal-Mart and her photography and business classes, she didn’t have spare ti out used cars

Then, because she was afraid she hadn’t adequately expressed her gratitude, Christie added, "Thank you" Her voice trembled

"I want to help," Teri said "You’rethey’d done their best to ignore each other

"I’ll sign loan documents" Christie had a stipulation of her own She wasn’t a charity case and wanted Teri to understand she wouldn’t accept this ift This was a loan and an opportunity to prove herself "I’ to pay that money back, plus interest"