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Maybe it’s insane that a news movement that started as the chosen eeks of all stripes wound up with a college professor and a forienist as its pri about reality It doesn’t need to ht tiht level of heroic dedication and personal tragedy, and ainst the wall--when their son was dead and the world was changed forever, and the things they’d been doing during the Rising to keep theeable facts weren’t an option anyhest-rated reality show anyone had ever seen The news

I dried my hands on the blue towel next to the kitchen sink before stepping aside to let Becks at the faucet "Remember e’re here," I said, voice a little sharper than it needed to be "This isn’t a social call"

"I’ water, using that small domestic activity to buy herself a few seconds Finally, she said, "I thought she’d be taller It’s a cliché, I know, but I really did I should know better--I’ve seen pictures of her next to you--but soht she’d be…" She stopped, and then finished, la with requests for autographs, and occasional offers of et e journalisuess Irwins feel ory details, while Newsies just look for so you with

"I wanted to be your rew up" Becks said it like it was soed out of her by a kitchen with yelloallpaper and stupid curtains Mon Hell, for all I knew, she already was For all I knew, she atching us froed since before I could walk "She was so… brave, and strong, and she always knehat she was doing Not like s ot up the nerve to run"

We never did that, said George Her voice echoed oddly, coht beside me, half from the inside of my head It was the house I’d spent tooit asme

God, was that what it was like for the Masons after Phillip died? Did they see hihost that never refused to take a nap, never drew on the walls with his crayons, never screamed because he couldn’t have another cookie? No wonder they adopted us We weren’t just another way of bringing in the ratings We were a living attempt at exorcism

"We never ran," I said softly

Becks shotWe were raised by journalists; we grew up to be journalists That wasn’t the whole story, but it was enough to make a nice headline We were raised by people who hurt everyone around thele-minded pursuit of the story No one could look at the nuia and I were two apples that didn’t fall far from the transplanted tree

"Shaun?" The voice was jovial and dry at the sae professor who ever told a slightly off-color joke and laughed with his undergrads, proving he was "part of the gang" without giving up an inch of his authority It was the voice of e beat herself to death trying to becoain That’s what hurtsto face hi expression h the two of theal son co lady?" His smile turned more sincere as he ai an audience he could char you were going solossily I resisted the urge to groan "I’m Rebecca Atherton It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir I’m a real fan of your work"

"Rebecca Atherton, frolancedsure I sa intimately he knew our site "The pleasure isthe Ry You have an eye for the news, Miss Atherton"

"Okay, you’re laying it on a little thick," I said, unable to containto spin Becks for thirty seconds and let us tell you e’re here?"

"Now, Shaun Youra nice family breakfast, just the four of us" Dad’s smile faded "I’ave up on trying not to disappoint her a long ti about that expression made him look as out-of-date as the kitchen, and somehow, between one second and the next, I started to see him, not just thepaja the illusion of collegial dignity, but his already-thinning red Irish hair was al forehead in its wake His eyes were tired behind the lenses of his glasses I’d never really thought of him as tired before