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“Do you still love hi him, ia felt the shock of that statement clear to the s that happen privately between a husband and wife aren’t meant to be shared Especially not with children” She shoved a hand through her hair “Robert and I were both so raw and angry after RJ died He wanted a fresh start I was too , he and I i?”
“No, about you I hadn’t realized how much you’d pulled away fro usfarlue that held everyone together You and Dad Me and Deck”
She shook her head “You were a mess Such a mess that you don’t remeet close to you”
Her mouth opened to deny it but she honestly couldn’t So she deflected “Are you saying the fact irl is somehow…my fault?”
“Good God, no We shoulder a lot of the blaht he made you happy And he wanted to marry you…you never said otherwise”
Her parents hadn’t seen anything wrong with encouraging her to get e was the norm for women in her farande seventeen And she and Deck weren’t the only couple froraduation
“I can’t undo any of those past ia”
That sense of surrealness washed over her again They’d never talked about any of this
“Then after RJ died, your father relied heavily on Deck because he couldn’t count onbelief in God to bolster mine Without his convictions…I had none So we both lost our way We’re slowly but surely finding it again”
“Are you finding your way back to each other?”
She shrugged “Perhaps But regardless what happens, I believe it’s time you mend fences with your father” She held up her hand “And no, he didn’t put me up to this”
“I don’t knohere to start”
“Ironically enough, neither does he” She frowned “But he hasan effort, not that I knohat that ether”
“That’s it? Robert ia didn’t need to point out her father’s grandiose schemes to her mother “Well, if I see Dad, I’llas I’ht if I let hi “So what do you wanna do today? It’s not supposed to be too hot We could hike the long trail around Devil’s Tower Or hlock Falls”
“Ah Well I pros there and he doesn’t knohat to do with the her? For her dad? Unbelievable
“I hope you’re not mad”
“No That’s fine I tentatively had plans with Tell anyway”
“You haven’t said too much about him” Her mother sipped her coffee “Makeswith hi around I have a life in Dallas”
“Hmm”