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On one ere the machines thee Apparently, the days of ordinary whiteas Mae pulled towels out of the dryer and folded theht it was her duty to do everything for us

Milo was dressed and looked good, except he’d painted his toenails, and I blamed Bobby for that Mae, on the other hand, still wore her pajamas, and I hadn’t seen in her in real clothes in days Her hair was up, but it was ?" I asked, trying for casual instead of concerned When I walked in the roolanced back atto have to buy neels," Mae said The usual war, but that was better than sobbing "You leave the towels in your rooet it out"

"Sorry I’ on it," I said Jack and I were the messiest ones in the house, unless Bobby turned out to be inordinately dirty

"I didn’t say it was your fault" Mae was nearly snapping at ry huff

I’ and washing things, and it’s like meditation for her That was not how she did laundry today

"Bobby and I always lared hi his laundry here, anyway?" I asked, and I realized I had missed very crucial facts about hi?"

"He’s in art school and lives in a dorlare

"Of course he is" When I thought about it, Bobby really had art student written all over hi? Why is here all the tioes when he feels like it," Milo said "And staying here is better than staying at a dorm, and I want him here"

"Our house has always been open to anyone who needs it" Mae sounded irritated by that as she folded a towel "Anyone that’s ever needed a place, be they vampire or not, has always had a place You wouldn’t believe how many people have stayed with us over the years Ezra has always had an open door policy To anyone

"Literally, anyone," she went on She put the folded towel in the basket and just leaned on it for a o on "Except for my family Except for what matters to ently He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she snapped back into motion and pulled a towel out of the dryer "And you have us here Don’t forget that We’re your family, too"

"You know that I adore you, but…" She held a towel to her chest and trailed off

"Have you oing to do?" As far as I knew, she still had her heart set on turning her great-granddaughter, and Ezra hadn’t changed his either

"No" Mae closed her eyes and shook her head "Maybe I don’t know" She rubbed her forehead and smiled sadly at Milo "Iyour laundry, couldn’t you?"

"We don’t want you to stay because of laundry," Milo said, looking appalled "You’re the heart of the family I don’t knoould happen if you went away"

"I know that, love" She touched his leg gently She went back to folding laundry, but more like the normal way she did "I have time to think There’s still time"

"Alice!" Jack called from down the hall "Alice? Where are you? Are you ready?"

"I should go" I nodded back to the door "We’re going to the zoo today"

"Have fun," Milo gave me a half-wave, but his focus was still on Mae She chewed her lip and didn’t even noticePeter watch that Planet Earth docu it looked on the new TV Jack caoodbyes to the guys, Peter gaveI wasn’t sure hoell I could hide my emotions from Jack

Maybe I’d have to talk to Milo about all of this He’d be really disappointed inthere was a way to help ot to the zoo in tis, and he was overly excited about both of the time in the nocturnal exhibit with the bats, and Jack had way too ious, and I was having a great ti about the zoo was that most of the people there were children, and children didn’t react to us the way adults do Some people still stared at us, and a small cluster of people followed us closer than was polite, but it was nothing that I couldn’t shake off Jack didn’t even notice it at all

The highlight of the trip was the dolphin show Jack ht down in the front row, so when they juot splashed Afterwards, ent down to the lower level so we could see the the with each other