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Why was he doing this, co here to reed to sign the contract This was unnecessary

Mama held the plant in her hands and beamed at it "What a lovely surprise You’ve justthe violets in her lap like a s, she turned her beam onto Jackson "What can I offer you to drink, Mr Boudreaux? Coffee? Water? So for me, thank you, rinned at each other while I looked on, utterly confused

Jackson said, "I understand Bianca gets her talent in the kitchen from you, Mrs Hardwick"

Ma or two, but she’s got talents I never had Creativity, that’s the ether for her restaurant, for exalance "Wouldn’t you say that was a stroke of genius, Jackson, all those recipes featuring Boudreaux Bourbon?"

Very gravely, Jackson replied, "The enius is actually with people" His eyes found ed "She kno to aze burning into ue sat into have to take sign language classes to communicate from here on out

Mahed

It was a satisfied sound, filled with relief and pleasure, like when you find so all over for that you thought you’d lost

Flustered, I looked down at ether inthese inthem a drink?" She held out the violets "And see if you can find that old photo album from your school days; I want to show Jackson those pictures frorade" Her se around in those bookcases in the office for a while, I can’t reroan that I kneould gainbut a rebuke, I stood and dutifully took the violets I left the indistinct as I made my way down the hall into Mama’s bedroom

I dribbled water into the plant from the bathroom faucet I set it on the sink and fussed with the tissue paper, s rill Jackson later about how he’d known these were Mama’s favorite flowers, but for noas still in athis I didn’t want to tell Ma married, it wasn’t just some bad joke Eeny had witnessed Maht away so smelled funny

But ery Yes, that’s what I’d do, I decided No need to run headlong toward disaster I could ease her into it a little bit

Then I reotat this point

"Slap, slap, kiss," I said to the mirror "And make it sound believable, Bianca!"

My reflection didn’t look very convinced it would work

I dawdled as long as I could without being obvious, then reentered the parlor with a warning cough Ma toward each other, deep in conversation, but broke off when I appeared

Like an old-fashioned gentleman, Jackson stood as I walked into the roo head nod made me flush evenon the sofa "It’s probably in the garage"

"Hmm," said Mama "Well, perhaps another time"