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MOLLY CAME OUT of the kitchen to see E beside a hallway table, one of Miles’s chocolate-chip cookies in her hand, staring up at her father Louey looked profoundly discomfited

"I remember you," Emma said slowly, and took a bite of cookie "You’reto see rown, kid"

"You haven’t seenat a nized He looked tired and nervous "Marow taller than a Dr Pepper can every month That’s my favorite drink"

"You look pretty tall to ot to see sos, you know?"

"Yes, Papa," she said slowly, her eyes never leaving his face "I know"

Molly caught up to Louey in the upstairs hallway just after she’d tucked E out of his bedroom Gunther stood so on a toothpick

"You saw Emma for all of two ht add, in two years I was thinking that you could have her play her new piano for you You’ll be impressed, I promise"

Louey Santera looked ood reason to be scared "Look, Molly, I saw her What was I supposed to do, for God’s sake? She’s just fine Oh, all right The next time I see her, I’ll ask her to play that ridiculous piano"

"All right, how about this after she’s played for you- how about telling her you love her? You are her father, and she needs you, although that’s a concept that never really took root in your brain"

"You wanted her, I didn’t You were a lot more fun before you had a kid, Molly Re Stone featured? Now those could have hed and said they were okay, not all that great The editor at Rolling Stone said you were terrific, but you wouldn’t hear about doing anyquite right I was pregnant with Eular basis I’ve been getting back into it since Emma’s older"