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"Okay I’ll be good" He put his hands behind his head and stared at the sky A fewspecial to me, Charley Redford"

I felt a flutter inthat tospecial to me too"

"Yeah?"

"I haven’t let anyone else put their hands down my jeans on top of a hill in Scotland, you know"

"Well, that’s a relief I do like to be original"

I giggled "You are certainly that"

"The pressure is now on, though, to feel you up when you least expect it"

"I can deal with that kind of pressure"

"You say that now, but wait until I give you an orgas section of a department store"

"You just ruined that location Now I’ section of a department store You took the spontaneity out of it"

Jake tsked "I’ll just need to coested

"What is not sexy about a tent in a depart and what has he been teaching you?"

"Just souy as all romance and picnics"

"He sounds like a tool"

"Meh, he had hissex in his pickup, though"

"Ah, well," Jake turned his head to s sank in, I felt a rush of giddiness "You still have Hendrix?"

He nodded "I stopped driving it… well… because it ree"

I turned onback to the States now "The first thing we’re doing e get to Chicago is taking your truck out, finding a secluded park sorinned "Have I told you I love how your mind works?"

"We should probably have dinner with your folks first, though, huh"

"And then you ruined it" He rolled his eyes in , I leaned in close "But you love me"

He made a face "Who told you that?"

"Sohed "You know a lot of tools"

"Nah" I shook hed, see ti hoot the summer and then we’re back to school in different states"

I sluht but said, "We’re only three hours away"

"That’s long enough to killthe back of his hand affectionately across my cheek

"It’s just one year," I promised him "And we’ll make the most of it I’ll come see you one weekend, you coht" He pulled ainst him, my head on his chest "But for now, let’s just enjoy this I thought I was happy when you decided to giveco peanut butter?" I teased

"Exactly" He kissed the top of ain Older but no less iainst hih was laid out before me As I looked out over the cityscape froainst the bracing wind, I felt content At peace

The air was so crisp here, fresh, alive in a way I couldn’t explain I’d never felt more awake

"Do you miss it?"

Startled, I looked overtoward me "Miss it?" I asked as he came to a stop and took my hand

He was so wared on ht here You’re right here"

Jake looked at rim for such a beautiful day, such a beautiful moment "Am I?"

The sadness in hi about?"

He leaned into me "Open your eyes, Charley"

"They--"

"For God’s sake, open your eyes!" he yelled and I flinched, closing theone

Edinburgh was gone

I stu in the trees, all the green, and all… the gravestones I tripped over one, leaning on it to right ray stone froze me to the spot

Andrea Delia Redford

"No," I whispered, falling toover the letters as if I could o away

"You can’t"

My head jerked up and I looked atover me "Moo away"

I shook ht and then pointed down the rows of the gravestones Tears glistened in her eyes "It feels real"

I followed her gaze

A black gravestone with the engraving Charlotte Julianne Redford

My lips felt numb "It’s not real"

The air shifted around me and Mom lowered herself beside rave and then a few on the one next to it My eyes flew to the headstone

Sophia Roberta Brown