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Chattering and giggling escaped the dining rooan took solace in the porch swing creaking in thehours Visions of birthday parties spun like a kaleidoscope showing her parents laughing and dancing, but words reandy dress with priays on the skirt

"Happy birthday to h a s I'm lucky to have Brett in ain hiain It's been ten years, but today it feels like one hundred Brett walked onto the porch singing "Happy Birthday" He joined Megan on the porch swing "You okay?" he asked, patting her knee

In the shrug, her hand clasped the amethyst pendant around her neck A breeze passed over, but no voices came with it "Why is my birthday the hardest?"

"I don't know cuz But, hey, you've got hed "That's better" He handed her a box wrapped in lilac paper with a pale yellow ribbon "Hope you like it"

After gently lifting the tape and unwrapping the present, she removed the box lid A bracelet with intricate beadwork lay on top of white tissue paper "This is beautiful," she said, ad the bracelet she now held "You have impeccable taste, Mr MacCorive a bad present?"

Though an remained silent and tied the bracelet around her wrist Once on, her fingers traced the triangle shapes of red, white, and blue "WhoDoe, Gray Cloud's wife I asked her to ave your bracelet to Jill last summer"

"Thank you" Megan kissed Brett's cheek and he pulled away

"Don't go gettinghis cheek

She snickered at her cousin's boyish ways "Do you think I'll ever et out much Polio left her paralyzed and she's been in a wheelchair for over forty years I'll bet, for you, she'll an's cheek "Happy birthday, cuz"

The screen door flung open and stayed open in the ht ti tra filled the space "Two hours of this and I'll be ready to explore Carlton, alone," Megan said, watching the hillsides colored with Indian Paintbrushes, goldenrods, and daisies pass by