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Mama said ould make sure someone puts it in her hair so she’s pretty e bury her

Mo around with blind eyes Why does it look the sa chair Tiff’s backpack is on the kitchen table It se up the stairs to our bedroom and stop at the doorway This is our rooh we could each have our own Tiff’s bed is made Her side of the room is always cleaner than mine

"Meredith," Mom says softly I turn to look at her She looks… tired Her eyes are swollen Her shoulders are saggy

"I can’t sleep in there," I say quietly "She isn’t here to sleep with me"

"Do you want to sleep in the spare room with oing to sleep in your rooht Maybe tomorrow" I nod and follow her down the hall, past her roouest room

"It’s not even dark out yet," I ry?"

"No"

"What do you want, baby?"

I shrug and bite uess we could just sleep"

I don’t knohere Moot them from, but she pulls Daddy’s T-shirts over our heads and we slide under the covers together

"Daddy will hug us tonight, baby girl," she whispers brokenly His shirts do sht here with us

"Wait!" I jurab sos me close, Tiff’s ratty old bear between us, and we both cry together,tier side door opens and Luke is there, holding my face in his hands "Jesus Christ you’re pale, Mer Coo inside"

"Luke?" Sa with her?"

"I don’t know She looks… hollow"

"Should I get some help?"

"No," I reply hoarsely

Chapter Twenty One

"I’et out of the car, but Luke holdset to Mark"

"Where were you, Mer? You were gone during that entire thirty minute drive"

"I was in the past" I fir apart here I don’t et to Mark

Luke swears under his breath and steps back to let me out

"Her dad and sister," Saht here I can hear you" I try to shake them off, but they flank me Luke wraps his arm around ency roole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>