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"I don’t know…"

"This is your one shot, Cheryl I’ll take you, check you in The county will pick up the tab, but you only get this one chance If you say no right now, that’s it That’s all I can do"

"Who told you to do this?" she asked

"No one told ht you could use a little help, so I found it for you All by myself And no, I haven’t even mentioned it to Jack You could try this You know you can’t do it on your own"

"You ask my mom?"

"I haven’t asked anyone You’re over twenty-one, aren’t you? You want help? Go shower and pack a bag--you don’t need much They have washers and dryers Clean sheets and towels Healthy food And a lot of people just like you who are trying to sober up It’s hard for everyone, but they’re the experts and if anyone can help you, they can"

She looked at her feet, her dirty, unlaced boots "I get the shakes real bad sometimes," she said

"Just about everyone does They have h the first days" Mel looked at her watch "I’ around while you think about it"

"Where is this place?" she asked

"Eureka"

Cheryl shuffled her feet a little bit Finally she lifted her head "Okay," she said

"Fine Go shower and pack I’ll be back for you in thirty minutes"

She cas in a brown grocery bag She had cleaned up; her hair ashed but only towel dried She probably didn’t own a blow-dryer She smelled of soap and a touch of liquor--a little nip to help her get into the truck, Mel suspected

"Did you tell your parents where you’re going?" Mel asked

Cheryl shrugged "My ?"

Cheryl shrugged She looked away from Mel as she answered "She said it’s probably a waste of time and money"

Mel waited for Cheryl to look back at her Then she said, "No It’s not" She took a breath "Co drive to Eureka, but Mel did learn that Cheryl had been at a cousin’s house in some other ht her horandiose aspirations--she’d wanted to join the Peace Corps, travel to foreign lands, be a nurse, a teacher, a veterinarian Instead, she drank her dreain River anymore, just heryou don’t feel like talking about," Mel began, "but I’e to get liquor?"

"Hmm," Cheryl started "There’s a liquor store in Garberville, but usuallyhis truck"