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I ers in his shirt as I shuddered harder in my attempt to hold back the tears “Dad”

“No one stays that mad at someone for nine years for no reason He still cares He’ll come around”

“I have to fix it,” I decided Not in the way Dad hoped I’d fix it No Michael and I were long over But I found I couldn’t stand his hatred al We would never have a relationship again, but before I left Boston, I wanted to mend what I could between us

I added Michael Sullivan to my to-do list before I could leave for Hartwell:

Make sure Dad was happy

Put ether

Talk to Derain

Apologize to Michael and ask hiive me

After the ugly confrontation with Michael, Dad and I tried to eat dinner, but ave Dad a kiss on the cheek to reassure hi to do a good thing, and I wasn’t mad at him

Unfortunately, he’d underestier I had too When we’d seen each other for the first time in years last sumuess ain was one too many acts of cowardice for him

Was it cowardice? I asked myself as I walked upstairs

I guessed it was I’d never seen it in that light

My past ith grief and Michael was inadvertently a part of that Knowing I could never be with hi hi our relationship, would have es for him In fact, it had worked so well, it had shocked the hell out of s overwhelone away

I’d merely put them on ice