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“You were never going to come over here unless I made you,” Kimber said

She mashed the old, sh the house, announcing our presence

“Don’t act like you know me”

Kimber snorted “Okay Done,” she said with a sarcastic bite

The door popped open, and eous Even at her age, she was still a knockout It was a bit unfair to think that Kiotten all of otten her snarky wit and unbearable attitude

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she said

“Funny, Morin

“You’re not too old to have your ass paddled, young lady”

Kihed My mother had never paddled me in my life Believe it or not, Kimber was the troublemaker

The three of us wandered into the living roo was exactly how it had always been—same brown fabric furniture with our initials scrawled into the wooden paneling on the side, randmother’s china cabinet full to the brim with my mother’s Precious Moments collection, and a sea of pictures on the mantel At least some of those were new, the pictures with Noah and Lilyanne as additions

But not a trace of my father He had been swept clean out of the house since he walked out on otten old raphs in the attic crawl space remained

We all took seats around the living roo from our past

“If I’, thatfor levity

“Oh, I know, honey” Then, she winked atto Harry Stevenson across the way, and he used to be a police officer”

“Oh God, Mo my ears

My lee at hter? You can’t h,” she said, pattingthem around when you come visit”

“Lilyanne is with Noah We’re going to meet up with them at the church”

“I suppose that will be fine,” Autuh of dejection “How am I supposed to spoil her rotten?”

“You’re doing just fine at that,” Kimber said

Myme in that uncanny way only she could do, and then she sht wrinkles crinkled around her eyes Happy wrinkles The ones I adored

“I’ve irl, what have you been eating in Austin? Is anyone feeding you? You’re skin and bones”