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They both wait for“When?”
“Let’s wait for the doctor,” says Mo her hands
“Just tell me Please”
“It’s the fourteenth of February” Dad straightens his tie in a rare show of nerves “That’s the date today”
I frown “No No, that can’t be”
Mom nods, adamant
“What?” I ask, incredulous
“Seven Months Yes,” says Dad
“It’s a long tiht you’d wake up” Mom balls up a Kleenex in her hands “The doctors saidit doesn’t matter what they said now You’re a hter”
Holy shit
While none of this makes sense, it’s all too real to be a joke Not thatfalse inI can re a barbeque Only a summer storm hit on my way to the store, the first rain in over a
Seven , Christmas, and New Year’s Summer, autumn, and winter A whole half a year It can’t be It isn’t possible
My brain won’t cooperate and even atte to lift my hand is a strain It doesn’t look any different, but I’,band? Guess they took them off me for security reasons, but still I don’t like it
“Where’s Ryan?” I ask again
Dad flinches
Mom turns away
“Where isThere was no one else in the car with rill To get everything ready I don’t reer seat But then I don’t reue shadowy dreams This is hell
“Oh, sweetheart,” says Molossy with unshed tears
“He isn’t” I can’t say the word dead I don’t want to even think it “What happened?”
“He’s on his way” Dad slips his cell phone back into his pants pocket, all while avoidingall upset about the situation won’t help anything”
Despite my father’s words, my breath comes faster A full-on panic attack all of about two seconds away Not easy to do fro iton?”
CHAPTER ONE
THREE MONTHS LATER
Leif Larsen lives in a big old brown brick building with a sprawling dogwood out front in a cool urban neighborhood No one anshen I press the buzzer But according to the details on the scrap of paper the nurse gave ht place
What to do?
The rational response would be to give up and go ho out in reat so far (and this would be sarcas other than a medical appointht on cue, my cell buzzes inside my tan Coach purse I don’t bother to look Mom requests proof of life every hour on the hour Not even dinner at the country club can distract her, apparently Her parental concern for me is well past claustrophobic