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“Look,” he said, “Oh, hold on awas followed by an audible srin to Toni’s face and et a few of her worries

“Ooo, Mark and Andrew sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Toni sang

Both h the phone “You’re such a little shit, Toni,” Mark said

“Tell your hunky husband hello for me”

“He is hunky, isn’t he?”

Toni laughed “Daht You picked a sexy one there” Andreas definitely classifiable as a hunk But then so was Mark And therein lay the reason her borderline bigoted parents had nothing to do with her favorite uncle They just couldn’t accept the fact that he was gay It rocked their perfect little, ultra-conservative, close-minded world

Mark hadn’t coht around the tian to crumble It was part of the reason One of many parts, but their reaction had affected the way she viewed her parents Hersoled her mind Little did she know, only a few short years later, she’d be the ostracized one

“Andrew says hi back Now shut up and listen tofor me” Mark paused

“Okay, counselor” she said,for confir

“You have six weeks until school starts again How about, instead of hiring a te until it’s sold, you do it yourself?”

“What? Me? Why would—”

“I said listen I did not say speak” He used his sternest attorney voice, which was pretty much ineffective on her

“So sorry My ears are wide open” Her tone said she was anything but remorseful