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"Have a seat" Elodie shuffled Braden down into the arht as Clark left the room She settled onto the arm of it and brushed Braden’s unkempt hair off his forehead "How have you been? I heard you and Holly broke up"

Braden hadn’t really crossed me as the type who liked to be ‘ Elodie’s attention He took her hand and kissed her knuckles affectionately "I’m fine, Elle It was just time, that’s all"

"H I was there, she turned to me "You’ve met Joss, haven’t you?"

Braden nodded, a soft, al the corners of his lips Still, it was friendly, not sexual, and I didn’t knohether to be happy or disappointed by that Stupid hormones "Yeah, Jocelyn and I have ether Why did he insist on calling me Jocelyn?

The frown soon disappeared as Clark returned and conversation gainedtheir questions and reciprocating, however I was never so grateful for Ellie She ca questions aboutthe questions easily fro escaped having to be outright rude I thought I was doing okay I even e friendly, non-sexual banter with Braden

Then weroohter, all the talk and noise, as we settled around it, helping ourselves to potatoes, veg and gravy to eat with the generous servings of roast chicken Elodie had put on our plates As I poured gravy over my dinner, their chatter, their affection, the warered the memories…

"I invited Mitch and Arlene for dinner," My s Dru was over for dinner since orking on a school project together, and hed "I’lad I made plenty of chili--as it is, Mitch will probably eat it all"

"Be nice," Mom admonished with a small s Guy can eat"

Dru giggled besidelook Dru’s dad was never around so my dad was like Super?" Moe juice

I shot Dru a secretive s at all We’d spent the last hour gossiping about Kyle Ra the word ‘Jude’ like ‘Juuude’ and giggling like idiots

My hbors!" a big bellyful of joy called out as Mitch and Arlene opened the French doors, stepping inside without knocking It was okay We were used to their overfa distance of the house My mom loved their overfas--Mitch and Arlene were incapable of saying ‘hello’ just once--we all finally settled around the kitchen table with my dad’s famous chili

"Why do you never cook fora little inappropriately at her first taste of dad’s chili

"You never asked"

"I bet Sarah never has to ask Luke to cook, do you Sarah?"

My mom threw dad a wide-eyed plea for help "Uht"

"Dad, Beth’s dropped her juice" I nodded at the floor

Since he was closest, he reached down to pick it up

"My dad never cooks," Dru put in, trying to make Arlene feel better

"See," Mitch mumbled around his chlli "Not just me"

Arlene scowled "What do youfor his wife somehow makes it okay for you to not cook for your wife?"

Mitch sed "Fine I’ll cook"

"Can you cook?" Mom asked softly and I heard le in a s of orange juice

"No"

Silence descended around the table as we all looked at each other and then burst out laughing Beth squealed at the noise, her tiny hand hitting her juice and sending it flying again, which h harder…

That memory was followed by anotherMy thirteenth birthday…

The rew fuzzy and I quickly lowered the gravy boat froled and cold sweat seeped froe I thought it led to breathe

"Jocelyn?"