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“Gwennie, you have to stop,” she said “You’reon the way you are Mom’s about to have a breakdown”

I felt so sharp and indefinable at my sister’s words, but I still asked her, “When do you think Daddy will come home?”

Gaby stood up quickly, then turned to er

“He’s not Gwennie He’s not coet used to it” I didn’t like what she was saying to et up, but she pushedher face close to mine “I’m sorry, I know it sucks” I pulled in a sharp breath at that; eren’t supposed to swear, but Gaby continued talking, “But that’s the way it is We’ll go to Dad’s new house and see his will never be the way they used to be”

“But…” I started to argue, ain

“I’row up,” she said, her voice softer now

I took a deep breath and choked back the tears, then wiped my wet cheeks with the sleeve of my shirt I looked around the room, then atI knew she was upset about as happening too, butit inside

I decided to be more like my sister I didn’t want toas horrible as I had all s fro, or the way our family used to be, I’d feel better Maybe, if I pretended like he’d never left us, and like he’d always lived somewhere else, and we’d always visited him, I wouldn’t feel so sad…

So that’s what I did

Chapter One ~ Craig

(10 years old)

All I wanted to do was go play baseball My brother, Cal, had promised

he’d take o play catch, but first, he wanted to stop at the park

“The guys and I are , I proes, okay, bro?” Cal ruffled h I secretly loved it when he did that

Cal was sixteen and the coolest brother a guy could have He never treated , like so along when he was hanging out with Scott and TJ, his best friends