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"Not yet We’re supposed to dress up as the person we most admire and write a speech from their point of view for school"

"And you are"

"Warren Buffett"

"I didn’t knoas partial to pocket squares"

"He isn’t" Daniel appeared froers wrapped around a very thick book, the title of which I couldn’t read "That was Joseph’s special touch"

"Wait, isn’t it Sunday?" I asked

Daniel nodded "It is But even with the entirety of spring break to practice, our little brother doesn’t appear to want to wear anything else"

Joseph lifted his chin "I like it"

"I like it too," I said, and ruffled his hair before he ducked away

Daniel grinned at me "Glad to have you back, little sister" His eyes arh his thick hair, creating a gravity-defying esture was unusual for hilided out of the kitchen before I could finishhis ownabout Bakhtin--" he started, then looked from my parents, to me, to Daniel, and then back to me

Scratch that I’d never felt happier to be home until now

"Mara," Noah said casually "Good to see you"

Good did not do s justice All I wanted was to pull Noah into my room and pour out my heart But ere under observation, so all I could say was, "You too"

"Mr Dyer," he said toquite well"

"Thank you, Noah," ht keptThe hospital food nearly killed me"

Noah’s eyes met mine before he answered, "Then I’m thrilled to have saved your life"

8

NOAH SPOKE TO MY FATHER, BUT HIS WORDS were meant for me

An unsubtle reminder of what he did forEveryone kept talking but I stopped listening, until my mother pulled me aside

"Mara, can I speak to you for a second?"

I cleared ure out what you want for dinner," she called out, then ledhallway intofaces on the wall, past the gallery of farandmother’s portrait, I couldn’t help but look at it with new eyes

"I want to talk to you about Noah," my mother said once ere in my room

Stay cool "What’s up?" I asked, and slid onto ainst the navy wall Despite everything, I felt oddly relaxed ina lot of tione"

Gone So that’s hoere going to refer to it