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"Because I don’t do that shit I don’t do drugs I’ve never taken a painkiller in et addicted to thehed, and I resisted punching hi to get addicted," he said "Just cut them in half Whenever you start to feel the pain, take half of whatever they prescribed you Soon, the pain will stop and you won’t need them You’re not Superman, Jack"

"Says you"

"I say that because I know you, brother," he insisted

"And I say no because I’ve seen way too et addicted to shit I refuse to be one of thehed, clearly th than I was "Here" He pulled an envelope from his back pocket and tossed it onto my lap

"What the hell is this?"

"It’s a letter from Gran"

"You read it?" I asked, my tone defensive

He frowned at me and snapped, "Does it look like I read it?"

I turned the envelope around, and ripped open the seal

Dear Jack,

Sometimes life doesn’t unfold the ant it to You, of all people, have learned that lesson all too well First with your parents, then with Cassie and that other horrible girl, and noith baseball

Gramps and I are so sorry that your hand is broken And we knothings about your behavior and attitude toward your wife that I cannot condone I did not raise you to be mean, rude, or disrespectful to the one person who has loved you at your worst

I know you feel as though your life IS baseball, but the reality is your life is so much more than just your chosen profession True, baseball is a part of your life, but it is only a part No matter hoholeheartedly you think differently, you are not baseball, and baseball is not you It will not last forever Nothing does, dear Nothing except love, of course

Eventually your hand will heal, but if you ruin things with your wife, I fear your heart never will Reain

Remember who you are You’re Jack Carter, the boy with the unbreakable spirit and resolve The boy who doesn’t take no for an anshen it’s so he wants You’ve been like that since you were five years old And I know you haven’t changed So stop throwing this little pity party of yours and get your priorities straight

You kno I feel about flying, so DO NOT MAKE ME GET ON A PLANE AND FLY OUT THERE! I will if you leave me no choice, but I won’t be happy about it The next ti

I love you,

Gran (Gra h my hair "Cassie cried to Gran?"

"What?" Dean asked, clearly as clueless as I was I handed hi, slow breath They were right Everyone was I was being a fucking asshole to the one person who deserved it the least

Cassie

Shit

My beautiful Kitten My heart My soul The only thing in this world I loved otten that? I certainly acted like it I owed her a ies, and a thousand explanations And I hoped that they would be enough

All I’d done since I h to have soood times when you overshadowed theet ht

"Remind me to never upset her, okay? I don’t think I could handle a Gran letter like this" Dean’s eyes ide as he handed the letter back to rabbed it and folded it carefully, then tucked it into et out of here I need to go ho not to fall on ht be disappointed, but he sat there looking at rin plastered all over his face "Thank God!" he called out toward the sky

"Noe’re religious?"

"If that’s what it takes, then hell yeah, I’et you home to your wife"

I hailed a cab the second my foot hit the crowded sidewalk outside the park We scooted into the backseat and I gave the cabbie our address

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Dean looked at e

"I do," I said with a nod "But not with you"

"Uh, thanks"