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"I’ve never been anywhere," Dovey pointed out, "but I could get to Mexico with the map app in my phone It’s probably about the same size as an insect brain Heck, my brain is probably the size of an insect brain"

"Okay, here’s the big question What if yourplace? Because that’s what’s happening here" She pointed her finger to stop Dovey fro flippant "I’et a new brain Why did they even coe, and kept quiet

"I mean, what in the world would make that happen nohen it never did before? Maybe it’s soht to be worried about"

Dovey reached back and pretended to yank an iet with Jesus, it’s the End of Days"

"Dovey," she complained

"Well, what? You’re a downer"

Dellarobia was nowher third pass with the flatiron over Dovey’s curls, but they still wanted to spring back The girl had fortitude, any way you looked at it Deana Carter cas for This?" Once upon a tie anthe that was funny The ache in her belly made her want to curl herself into a full-body fist "Do you knohat today is?" she asked

"National hangover day Technically we shouldn’t be out of bed yet"

"It’s the day I had that first baby That didn’t live"

Dovey’s face went through several arrangements of surprise "January first? How could I not know that?"

"You weren’t there"

"Well, no, because it’s the one month of our lives I wasto her eyes This was not planned She held the hot iron out and up toward the ceiling, like a gun, afraid to ai with blurred vision

Dovey reached up and held her other hand "Sweetie, you didn’t even tellyour phone I thought you’d abandoned uys were out on some monster bender"

"We were at home, asleep Or whatever you want to call that place Our one-rooe at Bear and Hester’s house"

Dellarobia turned off the flatiron and set it down, giving up the fight She glanced toward the door, then opened the vanity drawer that hid her cigarettes and ashtray and scootched Dovey over to sit with her on the one seat They were both so small they sort of fit, like children squashed on a bench at the grown-ups’ table She lit up, inhaled