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Taking a sip, I raised my brows

She crossed her ankles and then re-crossed them the other way "Will wants to do dinner with us on Saturday, for you birthday"

"Oh"

A faint smile curved her lips "I told him I wanted to check with you first andher nose "You are the birthday girl and all"

"I’ll only turn eighteen once, right?" I grinned "It’s okay, Mom, we can do dinner with Will"

Her eyes narrowed

I took another drink of cocoa "Should I dress up for this? Since he is a doctor and all Oh! Are we going to a fancy dinner and e talk politics and current events?"

"Shush it" She s back "I think you’ll like hi He’s really like…"

My heart did a funny thing "Like Dad?"

Mom smiled sadly "Yeah, like Dad"

Neither of us spoke for a fewresidency at the hospital in Florida He’d been a patient, having fallen off the deck and broken his foot, trying to i to my dad, the moment he’d looked into Moirl’s naed, and married within the year I came shortly thereafter, and there hadn’t been two people ued, love fueled their words

I’d give anything to have that kind of relationship

I finished off the rest of led closer to Mo the apple-scented body lotion she alore during autu her perfumes and lotions with the seasons

"I’m happy you uy"

"He is" She kissed the top of my head "I like to think your father would approve"

Dad would approve of anyone who made Mom happy I’d been there the day hospice had told us it wouldn’t beoutside their bedrooain That was all he wanted

I closed my eyes That kind of love should’ve been able to beat sickness That kind of love should’ve conquered anything

Chapter 8

I readjusted the thin black straps for the third tied on it, the neckline of the dress wasn’t coher I couldn’t believe it fitthe vast difference between Dee’s body and ht The dress clung to my bust and had a cinched empire waist before it billowed in soft waves to end before my knees

I kind of looked hot

But I needed to cover those babies up I whipped open the closet door I knew I had a red cardigan that wouldn’t look too bad with this dress, but I couldn’t find it in the mess It took me a few minutes to realize that it was in the dryer

"Holy crud" Iheels

Thank God Mom had already left for work She’d either stroke out or applaud the dress Either one would’ve been e I headed down the hallway, nervous and nauseous I could hear the car doors outside, the laughter as I pulled out the cardigan, shook it, and slipped it on What if I did so stupid? Like lift a TV in front of an entire house full of class a deep breath, I backtracked to the front door and swung it open "Hey"

Blake stepped in, holding a half dozen roses in his hands His eyes drifted over reat" He s, I took the roses and inhaled their clean scent Giddiness swept through me "Thank you, but you didn’t have to"

"I wanted to"

Ah, the key word again: want "Well, they’re beautiful And you look really nice, too" And he did, dressed in a dark V-neck sweater with a collared shirt on underneath I stepped back, holding the roses close No one had ever givento drink before we head over?"

Blake nodded and followed me into the kitchen Options were limited, so he settled on one ofaround as I found a vase for the roses "You have books everywhere It’s really cute"

I smiled as I set the roses on the counter "Myto pick thehed "Yeah, sounds right"

He aze dipped and he reached out, picking up the silver chain His knuckles brushed the swell ofnecklace What kind of stone is this?"

"Obsidian," I told hiave it to me"

"It’s really different" He let it drop "It’s cool"