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But ould her father bring them back up now? Surely he kneould end badly Meredith and Moh

She went to stand beside hi crashed doard, cruey black bits

“I love the sound of her voice,” he said

And Nina suddenly understood Her father had employed the only device known to actually ether ”

Dad sighed It was a sound as thin as tissue, and afterward, he seerow even more pale “You knohat a man thinks aboutnow?”

She reached for his hand, held it “What?”

“Mistakes ”

“You didn’t make many of those ”

“She tried to talk to you girls Until that god-awful playI shouldn’t have let her hide She’s just so broken and I love her so much ”

Nina leaned forward and kissed his forehead “It doesn’t matter, Dad Don’t worry ”

He grabbed her hand and looked up at her through watery brown eyes “It , his voice so weak she could barely hear him “She needs youand you need her Promise me ”

“Promise you what?”

“After I’one Get to know her ”

“How?” They both knew that there was no way to get close to her mother “I’ve tried She won’t talk to us You know that ”

“Make her tell you the story of the peasant girl and the prince ” As he said it, he closed his eyes again, and his breathing turned wheezy “All of it this time ”