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Her dad highlighted a portion of the document “Look who finally ca”

Bethany made a face “Ha Ha”

At the stove, hersheet full of cookies in hand “Honey, can you check on your uncle and see if he wants so to eat or drink?”

“Sure” She turned around and headed into the living roo exhausted The days leading up to his treatathered, the steroids given along with his medicine wore off fast

“I heard your mother,” he said before she could utter a word His voice eak and raspy “If I’e is”

Bethany focused on the TV One of the Godfather et you—”

“I’m fine” He waved his hand It looked paper-thin and white “Sit down I never really get to talk to you”

Chatting with her uncle was the last thing she wanted to do, and she felt terrible for that But she never knehat to say Uncle Will liked to pretend he wasn’t knocking on death’s door, and Bethany sucked at iant ape cli bananas

She sat in the recliner, tucking her legs under her as she frantically searched for so to say Luckily, Uncle Will started off the conversation

“So, how long have you been seeing that boy?”

Her mouth dropped open Okay, so maybe she wasn’t that lucky After Dawson had left, her parents had interrogated her about hiain “We’re…just friends”

“Is that so? I haven’t…” His words ended in a body-racking cough Impossible as it seemed, he was even whiter When the episode ended, he closed his eyes and cleared his throat “I haven’t really seen hiether”

Oh, boy, Uncle Will had no idea “Yeah, they seeet in trouble” He fiddled with the patchwork quilt draped over his legs Their outline was thin “Can’t tell theh Which one was here?”

It was funny to her—how no one could tell Dawson and Daeood choice”

She frowned “Do you know him?”

He shook his head “Not really, but he seems the friendlier of the thenever I’ve seen them in town Have you been to his house? Met his parents?”

Her frown deepened as she stared at the screen Of course, her uncle was pulling the protective role, but it made her uncomfortable to be questioned about Dawson An ie to protect him and their secret rushed to the surface