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I nod And then realize that he can’t hear that, so I add, "I’lad I was there"

"So am I" He takes a bite of his sandwich "Get some rest"

"You too" I make a move to head back upstairs

"And River?"

"Yeah?"

Gabe finally turns and hter"

I don’t know if he’s saying that to discouragethe obvious He’s right, though, and I’h to be her father

I s to be"

He pauses, so across his face before it sht"

THIRTY-SIX

Amber

"You sure you don’t want to stay a few more days?" I shut River’s trunk--every ti his duffel bag over his shoulder

"Your mother says she needs me back home"

"Is that what you heard? Because I swear I heard so completely different How peaceful the house is and how clean the kitchen is"

"Alright, alright" He hooks an arm around er I stay here, the longer you’ll stay here" His gaze drifts over to River, who’s standing quietly by his car in the airport drop-off lane He drops his voice "Don’t forget what I said, okay?"

I force my sotten, believe me"

"If it’s meant to work out, then it will" He plants a kiss ona few days for your ol’ dad I had fun" Nothing about his tone suggests that’s true, but that’s just hiether in the last four days than we have since Jesse and I were nine and ent ca--River can’t believe how si a lot ed between my father and me, a subtle shift in how I see hi the last teeks and the revelations they’ve brought has played a big role in that