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Take Me On Katie McGarry 14510K 2023-09-02

Most of the ho It’s better than her uncle’s but lower scale than where I live Overall it’s nice, pleasant and very suburban

"Stop" There’s a longing in her voice that pricks at ainst the ; condensation forers "That’s my house"

I shift the car into Park It’s a lot like the others: two stories, a chimney, but this one has a front porch, blue shutters, rosebushes and a for sale sign with the word sold

"Moyether On Sundays, we’d order pizza and watch aroom And that’s my bedroom The corner one with ts There was always a lot of light inno idea how to steal her pain, I gently stroke her hair one lock at a tiirlfriend--if I was Haley’s boyfriend If I was, I would kno to make her better I would have the words or the actions, but I only own silence

I’ve never felt so irl before The e

"I had a yellow lab," she says "She slept in o Did you know" And Haley stops and her breathing hitches It’s like being slashed open with a knife "Did you know she’s buried in the backyard?"

"No" Because I wouldn’t know, but somehow it feels like I should I think of me and Ethan at ten and nine dressed in our best suits to help Rachel bury her hamster in a shoebox in the backyard It was my idea to hold the service when Mohter, and Dad, once again, was busy with business

Rachel sobbed and sobbed as Ethan held her I dug the hole and I repacked the dirt There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my brother and sister

"Do you knohat I miss the most?" Haley whispers

"What?" I ask, terrified of her answer

"The feeling that no matter what happened or what I did, there was someplace safe to fall" Haley looks at me and my insides wither at the o home? I fantasized about it and I’m sure you did, too What was it like?"