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He rubbed ot all the time in the world, dahlin’”

Grateful, believing he was right, I quickly righte

d h to the front seat forI didn’t sound too breathless

It wasn’t Dillon

It was my mom

That call had changed ht an infection, and I was needed at the hospital She deteriorated so quickly, it didn’t feel real And she was too weak Eht her and won, and she went into organ failure

Mom and Dad had to take her off life support a few days later

Grief tightened its hold around eable, but lately, its viselike grip had returned

I stared at Michael He’d taken the ar patiently for me to speak After Dillon’s death, afterMichael

“I blamed you” The words tore out frooff events between us”

The stricken look on his face made me feel sick

“I know you’re not to blame,” I hurried to say “I don’t blame you now But I did back then when I couldn’t see clearly, and that’s why I pushed you away too You were perfect with me I look back, and I wonder how anyone could be so lucky to have met someone like you And I can’t believe that I blarily at my tears “I don’t deserve you, Michael”

He shook his head in denial “Is that the reason why I’m here, and you’re still over there? Because you think you don’t deserve me?”

I lowered my eyes “Not only that”

“Then what? Tell me”