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Daddy tells me I’m pretty, but he’s my daddy He’s supposed to say that

Happy with my decision to marry a musician, I execute a perfect pirouette down the eo inside, I’m surprised to seefor et the sa tiirl" She yanksonto ht I can barely breathe, and cries hard She’s shaking and sobbing against ? She only ever cries when she watches sad movies or when Grandus toward his office "Let’s sit down for aoutside to take us back," she sobs

Police officer?

"A to jail?" I cry

"No, baby, no Of course not" Mom sniffs and wipes her cheeks dry, then pushes"Sweetie, there was a car accident today Daddy’s at the hospital now, but we have to get back as soon as possible because they don’t think…" She can’t finish the sentence

"They don’t think what?"

"You need to go see your dad, Meredith," Mr Pritchett says quietly

"Where is Tiff? Is she at the hospital too?"

Another sob escapes Mom’s lips, but she firms her chin and ss hard "No, honey Tiff isn’t at the h-h-hospital"

"Where is she?" I whisper

Mom shakes her head, takes my hand in hers and kisses it "She didn’t make it, baby"

I wrinkle my forehead in confusion "Didn’t make what?"

"Tiffany was killed in the accident, Meredith," Mr Pritchett says His eyes are full of tears too

"What?" I pull away from Mom, yank my hand out of hers and buet back now"

"I don’t understand" I can’t stop crying now My whole body feels hot, like it does when you stand in the bathroo hot on a summer day I can’t breathe "I want Tiff! I want Daddy!"

"We’re going to see Daddy right now," Moh the front doors of the school to the police car out front

I want to ask why the police are here, but I can’t talk This can’t be happening What in the hell is happening?

Mos me hard on the drive to the hospital The tears have dried up, but I feel numb This can’t be true Dad had to take Tiff to her dentist appoint They’re fine Maybe he took her out to lunch after the appointment and there’s been a mistake

The police numbers and ten-fours When he pulls up at the hospital, he helps Mom and me out of the car He has nice eyes Sad eyes He pats my shoulder and walks next to us into the hospital, up an elevator and down a hallway It smells like medicine and cleaner and feet I hate the smell of feet

Why does the hospital smell like feet?