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"I’ve got to tell the to hate ht now Tonight I’ll--"

"No" Ethan shook his head, firm in his resolve "Tell theht before Christhter will be home soon and--"

But the look in Ethan’s eyes cut me off It wasn’t shock It was absolute sorrow

"Gosh, Lydia I thought you knew"

"Knehat?"

"They died," he said "About a year and a half ago Car accident"

I heard Aunt Mary’s words: I don’t drive much anymore

"This is only her second Christmas without theut I thought of Aunt Mary’s hugs, her e

"It was one of the reasons why I thought Hulda coood idea," Ethan told me "Aunt Mary doesn’t like to be alone, and the holidays are so hard…"

"Yeah Of course I wish I’d realized I would have--"

"No! Don’t change anything, okay? She gets enough sy soile She hasn’t been this happy since the accident If you tell her now … it’ll crush her"

"She’s going to find out eventually, Ethan It’s not like I can stay here Eventually, I’onna have to leave"

"We don’t want you to leave, okay?" He ran his hand through his hair again "I don’t want you to leave"

I didn’t realize how close ere standing or hoarm his hands were on led in the cold air I didn’t realize I was falling until it was too late, probably because I never hit the ground It was a fall of faith, of hope, of … if you want to be technical about it, love Or so like it