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"It is I can read you like a book"

This embarrasses me a little, and why is his hand still onIt feelsnice "Well, I can’t read you at all, because you’re expressionless"

"That’s h "You’re a terrible poker player Reht us to play? You lost so ht" I haven’t spent a lot of time with Lennon’s dad, Adam, because Lennon mostly went to visit hi to Melita Hills But every once in a while, his father would co cards and a supersize pack of Oreos to use for bets We sat around Mac and Sunny’s dining rooht My et er off and hadn’t realized it was so late Then she’d ended up playing a few poker hands--until ot in trouble

Lennon s so hard, I sprained h even harder"

"Your mom cleaned up, didn’t she? She took the entire pot Who knew she was such a vicious poker player"

That surprised me, too She was so loud when she won Probably woke half the neighborhood with her victory shouts "Your dad was hilarious, showing up in that casino poker dealer outfit with the green visor When he does sooes all out, doesn’t he?"

A wrinkle appears in his forehead "Yeah," he says softly

Sunny and Mac have framed photos in their hallway of Lennon and Adam dressed up for Halloween in superdetailed complementary costui Surfer and shark Luke Skywalker and Yoda This went on from the time Lennon was a baby until the year I o trick-or-treating, and Adaured out where he got that giant package of Oreos There were hundreds"

"I think he stole it fro to hiave him hell for it later when she found out You kno she feels about stealing"

She has zero tolerance for it I think it has so homeless when she was a teen May God have mercy on anyone who tries to shoplift vibrators froh-love speech from her while she calls the cops

Now Lennon seeo downhill, but before I can ask, he shoos away a ht, and grabs et my attention "Hey I just remembered I have cards in my backpack For Solitaire You want to play poker?"

"With what? We have no cookies And Joy would kill ave me for the trip"

Lennon thinks for a moment "We could use the M&M’s in your trail ames before it’s black out here," he says "Then you can break out your telescope and do soht You’re on, buddy Prepare to lose!"

It’s getting too dark to see all that well by the fire, and the bear canisters aren’t big enough to play on So we decide to shove both of our packs in Lennon’s tent and play cards inside er of the there we can spread out the cards The palht Lennon loaned me provides illumination, and we open the outer door flap and zip up the s It takes a while to pick out all the M&M’s from the trail mix, and then takes a couple of hands to reht flush confused with a full house, and Lennon forgets half of the rules We’re probably still playing wrong, but neither of us cares We’re too busy laughing

And it feels natural and good Easy

We play until the moon rises outside and stars dot the black sky The caet about my snake bite until he accidentally bu profusely when I cry out Then he rubsabout my hives I took ame too badly at theoverIt’s definitely et about everything, actually, including my current hand of poker He wins the entire pot of M&M’s

Despite the leg rub ending, I’ather up the cards and stack thele deck "This is so not fair, you know" I was distracted