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"Well"--I scraht explanation--"without peret permission You take pain with the intent to help, to heal That’s the best kind of ic there is"

"Don’t make ed, "you aren’t like Jack"

The coe "I never said I was like Jack"

"But you think you are It’s the next logical step, especially if you compare your abilities," she said "Mely you feel about a situation influences how you remember it There’ve been studies"

"That you just happened to read?"

"No I looked it up online" Lily pointed toward the desk, where her computer was open There was a picture on the screen, one she’d taken today when I hadn’t been paying attention It showed the back of E out, and me, with a half smile on my face

"Nice picture"

"Ah, yeah" She blushed a little and rocketed over to the desk to close the lid of her laptop "It was a good shot You, um, have a nice smile When you pull it out and dust it off"

"E about you How talented you are"

"Let’s get back to talking about you" Very single-irl "You’ve never said it out loud, but I know you co her that Jack had just made all kinds of comparisons for ht, but I was too worried I’d cave and tell her about the pocket watch I didn’t want to go there tonight, so I shrugged "Maybe"

"It’s only your abilities that are the same" She walked back to the bed, but she didn’t sit down "Jack takes memories and replaces them, and it fractures people in aherthem It made her empty"

I stared up at her

"You aren’t like him," she insisted "Your intentions aren’t the saht was a step toward helping her heal That’s what’s in your heart, and that’s the difference between you and Jack"

"Maybe" The word caught in my throat How did she see the liness that was really there?

"Why don’t you believe me?"

"Lily, I’ve made so many mistakes I’ve not helped people who needed it The people who needed it most"

"Like who?" She sat down beside me "Did you try to take your mom’s emotions after your dad died?"

"No," I whispered "Not until it was too late"

"Listen tofor ive yourself for that, and then you need to take the next step Instead of beating yourself up because Jack took your et thes when I was little, I’d hold ht orange flowers that grew in her garden Every ain, beautiful and resilient, ready to take on whatever the day brought

Tiger lilies

I had an irrational urge to hold Lily, or ask her to holdall the tier over each of her knuckles before flipping her hand over to trace the lines on her palate you"

"That’s my life line, not a map" She smiled, but she pulled away "Did you hear what I said about forgiving yourself?"

"I did I think … I need … distance from this conversation" I stood

"I’ any boundaries--"

"Lily Relax All Iyou’ve said Not that I was mad you said it"

"Okay" She stood, too "Kaleb?"

"Yeah?"