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Finally, she left the car and went inside, , "I should have held firm "

The ure out how to backtrack (i Kate didnt even bother answering In these last feeeks of suirls lived on the phone

"Mom! Its Grandma for you," Marah screaonna call me "

She picked up the phone and heard the exhalation of sroceries and plopped onto the couch, curling up under an afghan that still smelled like her mother "Hey, Mom "

"You sound terrible "

"You can tell that fro?"

"You have a teenage daughter, dont you?"

"Believe me, I was never this bad "

Mouess you dont remember all the times you told me to butt out of your life and then slammed the door in my face "

The ue but not impossible to recall "Im sorry, Mom "

There was a pause Then Mom said, "Thirty years "

"Thirty years what?"

"Thats how long before youll get an apology, too, but you knohats great?"

Kate groaned "That I ?"

"That youll know shes sorry long before she does " Mohed "And when she needs you to babysit, shell really love you "