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I s, not really sure how to answer that After all, the hospital doesn’t have bars on the s I finally decide on, "Thank you for letting irl"

I’ve noticed that she has yet to call me "Jane" like everyone else I wonder if that’s a conscious choice on her part or if she can’t be bothered with na over ood arm, filled with a collection of donated iteoodbye card fro as they lead us away froe

"If you ever need anything, we’re just a hop over the fence away" Meredith points to the other side of the garage, past a dilapidated farh a thin line of those ponderosa pines, to a aloith a sloped red roof and big bay s For all the wide-open fields around us, I find it odd that the two houses are practically side-by-side

"Yes So close that when that damn boy of hers shows up with that daru the neall inelse that was broken and battered onmolars should have been the least of my worries and yet, when a dentist froesture a feeeks ago, I started to cry

With a patient smile, Meredith answers, "I know, Ginny I asked hi we could do about it Unfortunately, that’s just the type of car it is It’s supposed to sound like that"

"Why? So it can wake the dead?" Ginny rounds the corner and begins cli, who hasn’t strayed more than two feet from its owner since we arrived, now hunkers down on the concrete landing, forcing us to step over it to follow the old wo, narrow roo in the center and sparse,the left side is a kitchen with a white speckled countertop, old, coht is a seating area with ticker ar a simple woodstove, a tidy small pile of wood next to it A brown-and-black tube television sits atop a faded blue dresser; the screen can’t be more than eleven inches In the far corner is a twin bed with a simple white iron headboard The smell of bleach and fresh paint perht white walls are freshly painted and the place was recently cleaned

"I lived in this little apartment for nearly thirty-seven years" Ginny’s eyes roll over the place "It’s just been sitting here, doing nothin’ I thought it le to keep the burn ininto full-blown tears "This is perfect" I turn to face her "Thank you"

She peers atwhether to say what she’s thinking I get the impression that Ginny doesn’t censor herself er to the corner opposite the bed "Bathroo but a few old tractors and a ’uns, so they’ll take care of those quick She’s a good mouser"

I lift a brow A female cat named Felix?

"I’ve left you a spare set of keys for the truck, in case you want to drive yourself into town It’s old, but she’ll get you there You kno to drive, right?"

Good question I shrug Maybe? "I don’t have a license" I don’t have any sort of identification "Sheriff WellesIhim by his first naround "I et one"

She disuess we’ll find out soon enough There ain’t no people out on these roads anyway And if you get pulled over, just give the the person who hurt you Dinner’ll be ready at six pm on the porch Don’t be late"

The way the old wo from the ling

I listen to the stairs outside creak as Ginny leaves

"Last as the first time I’ve ever been up here inht?" She takes slow steps through the space, her boots clo over the faded plank wood floors "It’s a little sparse We’ll get some more comfortable furniture in here as soon as we can"

"It’s , but right now I don’t care about fancy furniture I’ve been in liin to call hoed refrigerator "Good Aurtjuice" She adds absently, "If it had been Jesse stocking this, you’d be living off frozen pizzas and Coke"

"So both your children live with you still?" I ask as casually as possible She doesn’t ever bring her son up in conversation

She pushes the door shut slowly before shifting over to the stove, turning this knob and that as if testing it "No Only Amber Just for now, and she’s rarely home, she works so much"

"And your son?"

"He lives in Portland He’ll coh He stays in the apart the back left burner, she adds, "Gabe says this burner is temperamental, so just avoid it when you cook" Much lower, she mutters, "Because I’ sooner rather than later"