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E on Ellie’s last nerve but I couldn’t helparound, ain I rarely ate a proper ary candy, soda, and chips It was low- onsorry for myself I refused to shower unless absolutely necessary and seldom went outside It was nearly Christmas, and a beautiful white layer of fluffy snow blanketed the city, but all I wanted to do was hole up in et me out for soeit off I wasn’t ready to face that this was er with Ben Frustratingly enough, he continued to call ular pay direct-deposited into my bank account And of course he still occupied ht before bed I fought the urge to break down and listen to the dozens of voice ht lead tohiravelly, sleep-laced voice It hauntedI could do I calledanyone about the breakup It was as if even speaking it aloud would make it real More final

The second I heard her voice I broke down in tears like a blubbering baby

"Momma?"

"Emerson Jean, what is it?"

"Ben and Iwebroke up" I sobbed

"Oh, honey" She did her best to soothe and co questions, and for that I was grateful

"We’ve been through too much, Mom I just don’t knoe’re meant to be"

"Well that’s for you to decide, honey I know you seemed awfully happy when you were here"

"We were"

"Let me tell you a little story," she said "Grandether sixty-seven years before he passed They had a long and very happy e But did you know they ale?"

I shook randparents were two of the most in-love people I’d ever known They loved each other deeply, still held hands, laughed and kissed regularly right up until the end

"Romance novels and movies paint a too-rosy picture Real life has its ups and downs, honey Ben has a past So what? He’s a public figure and all those oes You have to decide what you want What you can live with Can you live with his past? Or can you live without him?"

I knew I couldn’t live without hiive hi, iveaway of the night I’d had I dragged ranny’s quilt out to the couch and plopped down I could hear Ellie in the kitchen and closedshe’d take pity on h" Ellie rippedoff your ass today"