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The cerounds crew had taken a ju I spent asinto a heap of useless mush, and then continued down south to the house, as was ain

Only one thing could change it, and I was still waiting to hear from Vanderbilt

Gus was out of the house before I even parkedhimself at me "Ember! I missed you! Come see my science experiment It’s totally rad!"

"Like, totally!" I ruffled his curls and was enveloped by the smell of roasted turkey as we stepped into the house

"I was so worried, because Dad had all the plans We’d talked about it so ht?"

"Yeah, they were in his e-htened on his shirt unconsciously "You can get into his e- "Yeah Just his personal one His security question was easy enough because Mom said he’d had the sa me stunned in the foyer

Moh the dining roo back for the ringing phone Gus showed e part of Mom’s desk in the kitchen "Good work, bud!"

"It’s the coolest thing ever I can’t wait to see how ht it takes to break it!" His eyes lit up

Mo-on-the-phone hand gesture that looked like she was conducting assault rin and complied

"Sure, that’s not a proble the boys over and eat with us?" Mo "Oh, we could care less what you’re wearing Just drive over" She leaned back to check the ti you in fifteenup "Gus, add three ?" I pulled down the plates froher cabinet for Gus

Mom smoothed the lines of her apron, a habit I’d learned meant she had more on her mind than what she let on "She doesn’t sound well" Distracted, she went about the kitchen, stirring gravy and pulling the turkey out to rest

I jumped in to help Gus, who asked, "Who is Mrs Rose?"

I readjusted his fork to the correct side of the plate and centered it "You renition lit his eyes "Yeah! Carson and Lewis’sroom as we set the dishes on the table Thank God that outfit wasn’t new She’d quit shopping once Mom had put her into therapy "Nice to see ya, Ember" She smiled and took her seat