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CHAPTER SIX

For the next three years, they wrote letters faithfully back and forth It beca of a lifeline Every Sunday evening, Tully sat down at the white desk in her lavender and pink little-girls roohts and dreams and worries and frustrations onto a sheet of notebook paper Sos that didnt otten that made her look foxy or the Gunny Sax dress she wore to the junior prom—but every now and then she went deeper and told Katie about the times she couldnt sleep or the way she drea she was proud of her When her grandfather died, it was Kate to whoot the phone call froan with, "Oh, Tul, Im so sorry " For the first time in her life, Tully didnt lie or embellish (well, not too h for Kate

Noas the su their separate schools

And today was the day Tully had been working toward forto actually step onto the road Mrs Mularkey had shown her all those years ago

The next Jean Enersen

The words had become her mantra, a secret code that housed the enormity of her drea ago in the kitchen of the Snohomish house, had sprouted wildly and sent roots deep into her heart She hadnt realized how ed her froirl poised to take on the world The goalto reach for, to hang on to And it made Mrs Mularkey proud; she knew that from their letters She knew, too, that Kate shared this drea down stories and writing them up A team

She stood on the sidewalk, staring at the building in front of her, feeling like a bank robber staring at Fort Knox

Surprisingly, the ABC affiliate, despite its clout and glory, was in a srade section of town There was no view to speak of, no impressive wall of s or expensive art-filled lobby Rather, there was an L-shaped desk, a pretty-enough receptionist, and a trio of mustard-yellow molded plastic lobby chairs

Tully took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and went inside At the receptionists desk, she gave her na the wall Shewait for her interview

You never kneas watching

"Ms Hart?" the receptionist finally said, looking up "Hell see you now "

Tully gave her a poised, camera-ready smile and stood up "Thank you " She followed the receptionist through the doors to another waiting area

There, she ca weekly for almost a year

"Hello, Mr Rorbach " She shook his hand "Its excellent to finally meet you "

He looked tired; older than shed expected, too There were only a handful of reddish gray hairs growing on his shiny head, and none of them here they should be The pale blue leisure suit he as decorated hite topstitching "Come into my office, Miss Hart "