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Timor comes over and extends his hand “I drove her in etting back here She knew you had a ot her here” He looks at Alice and nods as Renata lifts Linnie from the pool and wraps her in a fluffy yelloel

“YouLinnie’s hand with a o now, maybe?” She looks atan eyebrow

“Alice,” I start, heading over to the pool stairs and waving her toyelloel to Linnie’s “Alice stayed with Linnie last night She’s a friend of Martel and Bria I flew out and back early this ”

“Ooooohhh” Renata bobs her head back and forth on a smile “I’ve been replaced”

“No ma’am” Alice steps from the pool and I drape the towel over her shoulders “Just a cheap iot back”

“You’re not a cheap imitation!” Linnie yells and her little voice echoes in the tall glass space “Just different She knows sign language!” Linnie tells Renata, who give me a friendly, wide-eyed look

“She’s a good one then”

“And, she slept in Uncle Roan’s rooles and Renata raises her eyebroard h

“No, it wasn’t like that…” Alice starts, her face flushing “I was in his room, but he wasn’t home”

“Okay, okay” Renata stands, walking toward Alice, her arms outstretched “Doesn’tThank you for taking care of irl”

Renata’s ar Alice into a warm embrace

I look over to see Tiaze drift to Alice I’ve known hiood ht now hasred

Linnie watches us, then she does so I only see her do when she’s way tired She pops her thumb in her mouth

Renata sees it too, lets Alice go and her warive you a piggyback ride I’ll make you some cocoa and we can read a chapter of The Inferno, then take a little nap”

“I’m not tired,” Linnie protests around er thumb

“I know, I know,” Renata says, then gives Alice a wink “But I am You will put me down for my nap then Alice, you will stay for dinner, yes?”

Alice opens her mouth but hesitates and I answer for her