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“So Dante had you pretend to draw your grandhn reminded me

“U at where his finger was stroking mine “So IDante ca into the roo her I, uh, don’t know the word”

“You stalled,” Vaughn suggested

“Right I had to stall her She was afraid her food would burn but I kept telling her I was alht when she said she was done sitting for her portrait I screamed her name and then jumped in her lap and showed her the picture It was… it was a terrible picture,” I said with a s seven, I did a really bad job It didn’t even look like a person… it looked ”

I couldn’t help but srandmother’s expression when I’d shown her the picture

“She finished cooking and e all sat down to eat, Dante casually asked her when she’d stopped wearing her wedding ring She looked at the food and let out this cry… Papa had already started eating so she slapped hiet hih it for the ring Then everybody had to look through as on their plate”

“How did Dante get the ring back to her?” Vaughn asked His expression was soft and relaxed, which helped calm me even more

“He left it in the soap dish by the kitchen sink Beneath the soap He let aveof dessert”

“Did anyone ever find out?”

I laughed “Our Vô… he was always good at being able to tell whenWhen he asked us about it, I… what’s the expression… sang like a…?”

“Canary,” Vaughn said with a chuckle “You sang like a canary”

“I did,” I admitted

“Did he turn you in?”

“No” I began laughing so hard it was almost difficult to breathe When I could finally speak, I said, “Turned out our Vô hated dobradinha too! He kept our secret and whenever our Vó said she was going to make dobradinha, either me or Dante or our Vô would ask her toeyes”

Vaughn’s laughter was a soft ruers

“Puppy dog eyes,” he corrected

I nodded “It usually worked I never had to have dobradinha again…”

I sobered when I realized the real reason I hadn’t had that terrible dish ever again… because I’d been abducted less than three months later

The lead weight was back in my stomach