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"Don’t try to talk estured at the armchair beside her bed "Come sit" Once Frankie was seated, Iris clasped her hands and prompted, "So tell me about yourself"

Frankie felt her brow furrow "I’m pretty sure, from what Lydia told me, that you already know quite a lot"

"I know some basic facts I knohere you live, where you went to school, what you do for a living, and I’ you’ve left a trail of broken hearts wherever you’ve gone--I did the sanored her "Favorite color?"

"Yellow," said Frankie

"Favorite food?"

"Chocolate"

"Favorite movie?"

"Role Models"

"Favorite sex position?"

Frankie’s mouth curved "There are too h "I like you I was always partial to the reverse cowgirl"

Lydia gasped "Mother!"

"Althoughyou"

Iris threw an ihter "Really, Lydia, it’s not as if you’re new to sex"

"I’m pretty sure that Frankie didn’t come all the way here to discuss the Kama Sutra"

"It was siaze back to Frankie, she said, "Tell me more" She asked lots of questions, but they were casual and even funny at ti, Frankie’s time at school, and what her wolf’s personality was like Basically--just as Lydia had said--Iris simply wanted to know her

After a while Iris said, "Your head is probably pounding from allyou want to know"

Although Iris hadn’t once touched the subject of her parents, Frankie said, "I want to know about him And yet I don’t"

"I understand Christopher was a pain in my ass" Frankie’s surprise must have shown on her face, because Iris asked, "Oh, you thought I’d paint him as a misunderstood saint? No, I won’t do that He wasn’t a bad person, but he could be das in black and white There were no gray areas for hi, you were the bad guy He wasn’t unforgiving, just slow to let any slights go He was also teh I’m told that’s normal for artists"

"He was an artist?"

"Liked to paint He was pretty good Not art gallery–worthy, but he had a lot of talent He hadwilled Honorable He loved you Used to carry you around on his shoulders, called you his princess And he loved Caroline" Iris took a shaky breath "I don’t knoent wrong I truly can’t iine what it could have been They seeive you answers about what happened that night," Frankie said gently "I understand why you’d want the I can tell you, I can’t I don’t remember"

Iris patted her hand "I won’t deny that I’d like closure, but I’ive it to ?"