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It clicked My heart juainst the desk

My mother’s voice

Hello, you’ve reached the residence of Jacob, Susan, and Ruby Daly…

I don’t knohy I started to cry then Maybe I was exhausted Maybe I was tired of how hard everything had becoether, that Mom and Dad had fixed their fa I’d realized most over the past few days was how important it was for us to take care of one another and stick together And they were taking care of each other Good

Good

But it didn’tto close my eyes and pretend, if only for a few minutes, that I was the Ruby who still lived on Millwood Drive

THIRTY

HOURS LATER, when it was just the three of us back on the road, we finally had a chance to tell Liaht before

"Thank God Chubs found you," Lia his head "You knew him better than any of us, and you still went"

"I really thought I could control hiainst the cool"I’reed "But you’re our idiot, so behis fingers over mine on top of the ar a side road a few miles west of East River, and picked it only because it still had a quarter tank of gas Driving in this car was nothing like driving in Betty Chubs’s long legs dug into the back of my seat, and the car s After a while, it would beco on his

I openeda quick look at the white pole On top of it was a white box, and on top of that was a set off the highway," Liaested

"No!" Chubs said "We’ve seen thole cars since we got on the sixty-four, and it’ll take us twice as long to get to Annandale if we get off again They’ll be watching for Betty, anyway, not this car"

Liae said?"

"She said to make a reservation at my aunt’s restaurant and wait for them in the kitchen," Chubs said "I did that froht My aunt will probably even feed us"

"Let’s drop you off first, then," Liam said

"No," Chubs said "I want to deliver Jack’s letter"

"Chubs…"