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Chatter from everyone except Aria

She doesn’t speak again until over an hour later, when the boys have finished loading the dishwasher, while we cleaned up outside, and Nash and Mason are drifting toward the door

Aria passes through the living rooled in her arht, Mason Good seeing you again, Nash”

Nash hesitates only a fraction of a second, but it’s enough for me to see surprise and a more mysterious emotion I can’t quite place flicker behind his eyes “Good to see you, too,” he says “And to meet Felicity She’s a sweetheart”

“Thanks, and thank you for—” Aria breaks off mid-sentence

Nash is already out the door and halfway down the walk to his car

Aria glances down at the floor, looking so forlorn I want to run across the rooht, everyone I’ll see whoever’s here in theSleep well”

She turns and walks stiffly up the stairs, and I know right then that I won’t be dragging Mason off to ht It doesn’t matter that Melody promised to stay in her old room so Aria won’t be alone, there are tiap skills are needed, and this is definitely one of those times

“I know,” Mason whispers, when I stop by the door instead of grabbinghim to his car “Go take care of her See what’s up”

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be sorry I should be sorry I should have mentioned your name Maybe then Nash would have realized you and Aria were related and all the aardness could have been avoided”

I wince “Our plan failed pretty miserably, didn’t it?”

“Crashed and burned and caught the surrounding forest on fire,” he says with a wry smile

“Such a shah “Nash seemed so nice, and I think Felicity is in love”

“Aria handled that well,” Mason says “I’ a hter”

I nod “I’o check on her”

“Go Tell her I appreciate her giving ht, and that we’ll babysit for her soon so she can get so up soht?”