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My heart ha up towardht

“How are you feeling, Mom?” I finally asked her, the dreaded words that I so often tried to avoid, if I could The words that so often had a horrible answer “You had that doctor’s appointment the other day…”

“Oh, honey, I’loss over the fact of the tunosis that had left us stricken for months

At the back of the rooan to scuffle over a toy I watched as one of the back into the trash can The other kid throttled forward, gripping the truck and trying to nab it back as Jaan to kick his feet in the air

I rushed forward, pointing er at the with my mother

“Hey! The two of you need to cut it out and learn to share,” I told theer that only comes when it’s coupled with intense, internal emotion “If you don’t, you’ll need to sit at your desks for the rest of free period Do you want that?”

Slowly, they shook their heads and stuave an to vroom the trucks around the carpet I took several steps back, lifting the phone back to my ear I heard my mother’s chuckle on the other end

“You’ve really put your foot down, haven’t you?” she asked, joking

“I don’t knohat else to do with the my eyes

I stepped back toward the chalkboard, giving the class space once more On the other end, my mother’s voice waned

“How are you doing, baby?” she asked “Have you tried dating anyone lately? Have you found some new friends?”

She was anxious aboutI’d left people behind I’d only been in the new city for a feeeks, and, it was true, I felt the aching loneliness that comes with a new scene, a new start

In the back of my mind, I reht for a paycheck for ra