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“What’s going on?” he asks, letting the gear bag he’s holding drop to the floor His gaze flits from me to his mom

She s a bad day I asked Calliope to come by and check on him”

Rafe’s eyes snap toon hard “And?”

“He’s having a hard ti—”

“Why?” he de deeply “Iabout any of this”

“The cancer has spread to his lungs and his liver—”

“No,” Rafe barks atwildly between his mother and et this bad, this fast?”

There’s a world of recriuilty expression on his face

“Sorry,” he ht out of the kitchen and trotting down the stairs

Brenda starts to rise fro a hand on her shoulder “Let ive that to him without too much emotion”

Because reallywe’re nothing to each other, so I’m perfect for the job

Brenda nods, and I follow Rafe out of the house, expecting to find hi via freight carrier fro to buy a new one now that he’s relocated It’s not like he can’t afford it

Instead, I find Rafe sitting on the top step of the porch, arlances up atanyone”

“I know that,” I reply softly and take a seat beside him “And I think that maybe you really don’t have all the infor on So what can I do to clear things up?”