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"Would you like us to open them, or leave the combinations with you?"

Mom was in no position to answer

Gra up to etting control back "Open theet this over with"

Two soldiers stepped forward, careful not to jar Mom and Grams, and opened the locks with nearly sies squeaked as they ripped off the scabs we’d fought so hard to grow and opened up new crates of grief

"Is there anything else?" I asked the captain, unable to take the vacant look on Mom’s face for another s sent hos ht?"

"Yes, ma’am We had to wait for the co" He looked down at the floor and I grasped histo misunderstand hiht?"

He grimaced and took a breath "No, ma’am Official policy states we have to wipe the hard drive before returning it to the fatrouble holdingwe had of hi out yesterday’s trash?" My fingernails dug into the palms of my hands, desperate to draw any blood they could Even mine

"Please understand--"

"No! You stole froht to!" I shook ht! Why would you do this to us?"

"It’s policy"

"Screw your policy You erased as left of hi, and you know it!"

Mo loose the very sound bottled inside me Her misery echoedmy back

Mom knelt in front of one of the boxes, one of his ar hi out his name My throat closed up, but I found my voice "Get out"

I didn’t need to say it twice