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"Fivedamned sure of my chances He’d asked her major, and when she’d answered, ‘Art’, Ray had blurted out, ‘Your father is Dr Lucas--one of the fore art? What the hell are you gonna do with a degree in art?’"
He s "She drew herself up to all five foot two, eyes flashing, and said, ‘I’ to do? Make money? I’m so impressed’ She whirled around and left the kitchen For days, Ray was furious that he hadn’t for there
"A week later, I ran into her in the coffee shop She asked if I was as anti-art as my friend I’m no dummy, so I exclaimed, ‘No way--I kno essential art is in the expression of the hu, and toldhim at all, because he was deter since the night they allery was squeezed between a liquor store and a furniture rental place As alked to the door, Ray made a re, and I wanted to kickhiauzy dress, her hair twisted up--very art student With her was a smartly dressed blonde--Ray’s usual type--who she introduced as her best friend, and also a finance irl ‘Where’s your stuff?’ he asked Rose His question seeety as she led us to the wall showcasing her paintings--watercolors We all waited, tense, for Ray to pronounce judgment
"He examined each piece without comment, and then he looked down at her, and said, ‘They’re beautiful I don’t think you should ever do anything that isn’t this’ She graduated three ht Once he finished his doctorate, they got eance, as he’d always planned to do
"Oddly enough, I ended up with the pretty financeafter they did The four of us stayed close friends Landon is like an older cousin to our three"
Dr Heller stopped and took a deep, sad breath, andfor the FDIC Lots of travel I was teaching at Georgetoe lived et in touch with theht, Cindy and I drove over to check We found Rose in her room, with Smith’s body, and Landon in his room" Dr Heller sed and I couldn’t breathe "He was so hoarse fro he couldn’t speak, and his wrists were zip-tied to the bed post He’d dragged that bed until it ran into other furniture and couldn’t go any further His wrists were lacerated, trying to get loose froet to his mother There was dried blood on his arms and the corner of the bed That’s where the scars came from He’d been like that fifteen, sixteen hours"
My stomach heaved and tears streamed down my face, but Dr Heller’s voice was flat I sensed he was holding himself apart fro hiht
"Rose was the emotional heart of the three of the her that hen he wasn’t there to protect her… He shut down He’d made tremendous strides in his career, but he quit it all Moved the two of the boat he’d been so deterhteen His father died a couple of years later, left hi
"Landon shut down in a different way Cindy and I tried to tell Ray that he shouldn’t be uprooted fro he knew, that he surely needed therapy, but Ray was out of his rief He couldn’t stand to be in that house or that city"
He looked up ata tissue box from a desk drahen he took in et the rest froed his name to his middle nae Trying to reinvent hihteen-year habit is hard to break, and he hasn’t called h in the past three years" He peered athis apartment As far as I’m concerned, any student/tutor restrictions are over Just… so you know"
I dabbed a tissue under my eyes and thanked him
University restrictions were the least of ood cook" I grabbed the elasses and followed Lucas to the sink He rinsed the bowls of pesto relasses froold standard for i a date with your mad culinary skills"
"So this is a date?" Before he could do an about-face, I added, "And you made the pesto from scratch--I watched you That was impressive all on its own Besides, you’ve never lived in a dorm, where the pasta choices are usually Chef Boyardee from a can, or two-for-a-dollar ramen noodles The occasional Lean Cuisine Trust me, your skills are positively epicurean"