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"What part didpart, some of her paranoia, too"

"And you?"

"Oh" A sot so, and too many life lessons learned the hard way That was me--yep--up until the day your ht her breath

"I stopped living your grand they were mine, and I turned serious I think she knew you wouldn’t take to Kathryn"

"Aunt Kathryn didn’t take to me"

"No, no That wasn’t it" Aunt Mae’s voice was fir your mother knew Kathryn wouldn’t mold you, so she cao, and Kathryn wasn’t accepting it, you see I think Kathryn lived in denial of your uys ever talk about Grandhed softly "It was more about what she didn’t do than what she did do I lived through it, but I was the first out of the houess I didn’t see the worst to coht Kathryn and your randhts Nasty"

"You said it was about what she didn’t do?"

"She didn’t love us Not the way it’s supposed to be, you know She put herself first I think a part of us all carandmother, but I’d like to think I partied h to knohen my little sister Danny cae, and she informed me of that She said she would not have hten up if I wanted to be a part of your life"

Anotherat her round Julia and Erica were huddled against Aunt Kathryn’s sides with her ar both, all three with tears on their faces Dani stood alone She’d yet to throw her pink rose inside, but she bit her lip to keep froed her hand with her own

"You held my hand at the funeral"

A hoarse chuckle ripped fro in the back, all self-conscious and not knohat the hell I was supposed to do Your mother only spared one conversation with me in years, but you looked so lost and lonely A little puppy that just realized herback for her"

"You pickedthat could’ve happened I remember that"

"Ah--Kathryn has some of our mother’s jealousy, too She was clueless, didn’t kno to even speak with you, but she couldn’t stand the thought that I e Your two sisters, they speak Kathryn’s language Your mother knew that"

Her mother had known her Her mother had looked out for her Dani blinked her own tears back, holding tighter onto the blanket