Page 24 (1/2)

I closedthen how dumb that sounded

It was her brother Even if they weren’t close, it was still her fucking brother

Asshole

I gripped the back ofhard

"We were, for thein her voice but sweet tones and light

She wasn’t upset about my offhand comment

"He was seven years older than ether But he eso brother, you know? He had all these tattoos and drove a black 1970 Charger"

"Nice," I muttered appreciatively, then slid down farther on the bed and relaxed with my head on a pillow

"So cool," she added "Barrett was the definition of badass He ild Must be where I getHappened his second see My ot word, but it was too late He was in a coot there"

"Fuck"

"Yeah"

"How old were you?"

"Twelve"

"He your only sibling?"

She yawned and sighed

I didn’t want her drowsy Not right noired and burning, restless for ht tones

I wanted her to be that way, too, and to want to give me that

Mine This was mine Her voice inanxious to answer and silencing my discomfort "Just me and him"

"Must’ve been hard on your parents," I commented

"Just my mom Dad isn’t in the picture He never was But my mom? Yeah" She inhaled, then breathed out slowly "She went a little crazy, which I guess is understandable Barrett was brilliant A good kid Then one night he partied too hard, and that onepopsicles on your porch with your daughter oneyour boy is dying It was too sudden for her sanity, I think Or maybe, even if it was slow, it wouldn’t haveokay now?" I asked

"Depends on your definition of ‘okay’ She found a way to heal, a few reat The intentions were good She joined this prayer group and it was really helping I didn’t see her cry as s turned into daily s, she was always at the church and never ho she’d talk to et on the right path She was better, happy, but different Not the one and far too busy with her new spiritual fa twist and wrench in ut