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"Why?" I demand flatly "I’m tired I have watero have a nice lunch with my friends, like a normal person I don’t want to listen to any more bullshit excuses from anyone, Dad, especially Mo, I know," ray tunic over soft, draping gray trousers and enough silver jewelry to choke a horse Every tiles at her wrists tinkle ht she’d invited herself over to Cooper’s brownstone "I’m so, so sorry about what happened to Cooper--not toBut what happened with Cooperthat was my fault, and I couldn’t be more sorry"

My eyes fill with tears--and ridiculously, alesthis stupid woman has said?

"You’re sorry for that?" I demand "Not that you shouldn’t beyou should But out of everything, that’s what you’re sorry for? You aren’t even responsible for that Ricardo did that, not you"

"Yes, yes," my mother says "But I should have known better than to think he wouldn’t find me here, even if I did try to keep a low profile You don’t need this on top of all the other stresses you have"

By "this" she appears to estures toward hi

I stare at her I’m not the only one All ofat her, too

The urge to weep has leftstresses?"

"Well, those," she says, "and everything else your father’s toldup yourin a dorm? Do you think this is the life I’d hoped you’d have? Of course not"

I feel as if the ground beneathbeneath us But there’s no subway station nearby What I’ is a seismic shift in h

"What’s so wrong with my life?" I demand "I’m surrounded here in this shop with people who love me"

Well, except for Patty Where is she? On the other hand, dancers are notoriously late for everything, and pregnant dancers are even worse