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“Hleefully

“Well, yeah Because we’re friends” Friends who’ve kissed

“I’ve had a few friends like that in hter”

“Gross,” Heather muttered She was all for the Gilmore Girls–type relationship she and her hter, but she drew the line at sex talk

“You’re young, honey! A little flingthat,” Heather said “Subject changehave you thought about ?”

The moment of silence from her usually chatty mother was all the answer she needed, and Heather tried to ward off the stab of frustration, but it ca of staying open,” her mom said “If I worked a shift, it’d be double pay”

“Mom, if you need money—”

“No,” her mother said, a sharpness to her tone that Heather was unaccusto just fine And you know I’d love to see you on Thanksgiving, if you want to come out—”

“Mom, I’ve been in New York for nearly five years now,” Heather said quietly “You haven’t come out to visit once”

Her mom didn’t respond, and Heather’s frustration made the usual transition into hurt She knew that New York was her dream, not her mother’s Knew that her mother was perfectly happy back home in her trailer in a way that Heather never could have been

But despite repeated offers to pay for her mother to come to visit, Joan always found an excuse It always ended up that Heather trudged back to Michigan for the holidays, falling into old habits as she and her mom crowded around the tiny kitchen table and had harand plans of “cooking so new” had been derailed by a new TV show or a phone call from Sissy

“New York just isn’t for me,” Joan said in a conciliatory tone

“How do you know?” Heather asked with more snippiness than usual “You’ve never been here”