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I nod I’an

My brothers are solemn on the way back home It’s early afternoon on Saturday, and I look down at my watch "Shit," I say

"What?" Paul asks

"I have an appoint beside me but she has been lost in her oorld since we left the hospital "I guess I can cancel"

"Are you too tired to do it?" Paul asks

Honestly, I’ht now I could climb mountains And pick them up and throw them I shake my head

"So, why not do it?" he asks

"Matt," I say Just that one word

Paul claps ht hours, du to do a bunch of tests and scans and shit and told us that he can’t see anyone until at least Monday Until he’s settled in I’m hopeful I’m so hopeful and I haven’t been hopeful for weeks I’ve watched Matt declineto terms with it But hope has bloomed within me It’s not fair It’s not fair at all What if he still doesn’t get better? I have to believe he’ll ets settled," Paul reminds me "Until then, ait"

Kit looks up atfor the first time since we left the hospital "I think you should open the shop Do your tat You’re going to need the money" She doesn’t look o, too?" she asks "I want to watch"

I wrap my arm around her and she smiles up at me "You ok?" I ask

She nods and leans in I can feel the ind of her inhale againstme, you little pervita," I say

Her eyebrows lift and she repeats the word "Pervita?" She laughs I hug her to o She’s a part of us now All of us And she’sbehind us with their heads pushed together, talking softly When they do that, there’s usually trouble brewing "What are you two up to?" Paul barks Their heads snap apart, and they try not to look guilty They’re terrible at it, though

"Nothing," they say in unison

Paul narrows his eyes at them "I don’t believe you"

They look at him sheepishly

"I don’t believe you either," I say

"I think I liked you better when you didn’t speak," Pete says Then he grins

I flip hi on my back He bounces up and down, and leans over my shoulder so I can see his lips "My feet are cold," he says, batting his golden lashes at me "You should carry me the rest of the way"

He’s latched ontoa load of bricks But I hitch hi

Sam turns his back to Kit and bends down "You look tired, Kit," he says "Want a ride?" He waggles his brows at her She laughs, and juood end of this deal," I croak, as we all walk along together

I can’t help but wish Matt were here Ion this tat for weeks It’s a huge bald eagle that goes from shoulder blade to shoulder blade Not to uy I drew the outline, and then I started shading it last week I need to finish it today It’s a five hundred dollar tat, and we could use the money Particularly now

I settle down to work on it, and Kit watches over oes to the front of the store to sit doith Friday and Paul Paul is updating Friday on Matt’s condition Friday adores Matt; if there’s one of us she hangs with the most, it’s him She wipes a tear from her eye

I can read her lips froets accepted in that trial? It’s so strange," she says I can’t see what Paul says in response

Kit a to Paul He looks shocked for a minute and then he pulls her forearm down to look at it She’s not hurt, is she? I un to the side, but she looks over her shoulder and smiles at me She’s fine Paul motions for her to follow him and he takes her behind a curtain I see his lips when he says, "Keep him out of there," to Friday Keep who out of where? Then he pulls a curtain around the two of theun down I start in that direction Friday gets betweenme around

"What kind of tat?"

"A tiny little butterfly or so equally as cute Maybe a Disney princess She hadn’t decided yet" She rolls her eyes Friday has skulls and crossbones, and turtles, and all sorts of weird shit all over her body

"I want to help her pick so to push past Friday

"Stop," she says "She wants to surprise you"

I run a frustrated hand through s to different people," Friday says "This means a lot to her and she should be the one to decide what she gets"

I already know this, but I want to be involved Damn it

"You don’t trust Paul to take care of her?" Friday asks, her brows crashing together

Of course I trust hiirl," I say I know I sound like a baby But there it is

She pats me on the arm "Suck it up, buttercup," she says Then she narrows her eyes at ?"

My face flushes with heat "Don’t get used to it," I gruain"

"I could only be so lucky," Friday says, rolling her eyes But she juhtly "I’ure out what she’s talking about Kit? Me? Our relationship? My talking? I brush her off when the guy I orking on starts waving his arms from the back of the shop I have a lot of work to do So, I had better get busy

An hour later, Kit co, and her foreare She walks over to o and have just been waiting for her "You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet," Kit teases

Paul walks out behind her He’s s, but he won’t meet my eyes