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My grandets easier with time Every day was an opportunity tomore and more each day I decided not to tell Hannah about my confrontation with Rachel at the o, or about my brief interaction with Cameron before I left I was a littleit about again wouldn’t be conducive to those efforts

We spend Christmas at Gama’s, and to my surprise, my father joins us He shows up with a car full of presents for Ari, and part ofto ht his wrongs, but I’rateful for his effort

I invite Taylor and Macy to join us, since they would be alone otherwise, and once Hannah shows up, it finally starts to feel like a family holiday I’ve still spoken to Candice everyday, and she still skirts around talking about Cameron, but I can hear in her voice that she’s concerned Still, Iabout hihts I don’t know if he’s ive himself for his father's death andto do with mine

Chapter 19

~ January 2013 ~

~ Hayley ~

The funny thing about life and time is that no matter howforward, and you can choose to fall behind or pick yourself up I can’t deny s for Ca away froo at his father’sin, letting both him and Rachel win, but when presented with the choice between humiliation and self-preservation, the need to protectselfish decisions when my past could very well resurface, and unfortunately, Ari would be dragged into the messy crossfire just because she was born I still love Cameron, but in my mind, I’ve rationalized that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway, and that Caot bored with me

I walk through the front door ofonto the floor with a thud I’ day of classes, but find that throwing ivenCaht it would be better by now, but who aet over their first loves and right now, I feel like one of them

My grand in front of the stove, with her sunny yellow apron around her waist, and singing along to soh chair, watching h quietly when she startsto the tune playing on the radio in the kitchen My little rebel child She has a e, and I hope she will use it to make smarter choices some day

“Moh chair until I pick her up

“Hi monkey pants” I kiss her on the forehead and bend to kiss randmother on the cheek