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"Not even if I thought it was funny"
"When I was a little girl--and Ilike that When I was a little girl my parents tookthis filiant Omnitheater movie screen They showed this extreht it was theI had ever seen in the world It terrified me, made me cry My parents had to take me out of the theater I’ve been afraid of butterflies ever since What it taught s for what they sees that I find beautiful"
"I don’t agree that’s a good idea"
"That’s because you’re cynical" She waved at the people behind the closed door "All of you are"
"I suppose…"
"Should I tell you hoethe Ely Winter Festival just before I graduated frohetti Feed and then later at the Polar Bear Dance Roy had been discharged fro his dress uniform with his medals on his chest, and when I saw hi goes?--I kneas the one He didn’t come after h, because guys are all like, ‘Hey baby, want to see the bruise where the puck hit me?’ and woether around here because people--so many people knew us--you can’t date in a s your business Instead, ent to Virginia or Hibbing or Tower or even Duluth Then, after I graduated, well, then we , Dyson You’re thinking he’s too old for ht that at first Roy did, too Only then he toldeach other for a while, he said how being withHe said that I reminded him that he was over forty years old but he had never been twenty because of the army, you see Maybe I should have looked closer I’ve told h, and I’ to start now Anyway, I just wanted to thank you"
"Jill, get out of here," I said "Bad things are going to happen I don’t want you involved in them I don’t want you hurt"
I don’t knohere the words came from or why I said them out loud I only know IUnfortunately, nothing I said registered Instead, a smile started in her eyes and spread across her face--you have never seen a smile like that--and she whackedbut a big softy Just like Roy"
Aback to the kitchen I joined her a moment later, retrieved my plate of strawberry-rhubarb pie, and stepped into the living room I stood in front of Jimmy’s map next to Roy while I ate Roy leaned in and whispered
"Did Jill thank you for slugging oing to What else did she say?"
"She said you were a big softy"
"Wo In private"
You, too? my inner voice asked
"Sure," I said aloud