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Kate knocked on Marahs door, heard a muffled, "Come in "

She went inside Trying to ignore the clothes and books and junk scattered everywhere, she picked her way to the white four-poster bed, where Marah sat, knees drawn up, talking on the phone "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

Marah rolled her eyes "I gotta go, Gabe My mom wants to talk to me Later " To Kate, she said, "What?"

Kate sat on the edge of the bed, re suddenly all the tie years Her mother had started every reconciliation with a life-is speech

She smiled at the memory

"What?"

"I knoeve been fighting a lot lately, and Im sorry about that Most of the time its because I love you and I want the best for you "

"And the rest of the time, whats it about then?"

"Because youve really pissed me off "

Marah smiled at that, just a little, and sidled left to make room for Katie, just as Kate had once done for her own mother

She moved more fully onto the bed and cautiously reached down to hold her daughters hand There were lots of things she could say right now, conversations she could try to knit out, but instead she just sat there, holding her daughters hand It was the first quiet, connected ether in years and it filled her with hope "I love you, Marah," she said finally "It was you, more than anyone else, who showed me what love could be When they put you inher throat tighten Her love for this child was so enor Sometiot that She s special together "

"Like what?"

"Like the anniversary party for Dads show "

"Youfor this opportunity for weeks Kate had repeatedly said she was too young

"We could go shopping together, get our hair done, get beautiful dresses—"