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“A toast,” her lass

There was a moment of aard silence as they looked at one another Meredith knew that each of the about what to say, how to honor hi it hurt more or sound sad He wouldn’t have wanted that

“To our Evan,” Moainst the others She downed the alcohol in one s “Your father loved it when I drank ”

“It’s a good night for alcohol,” Meredith said She drank her vodka and held her elass out forhis voice when I come into the house,” she said

Mom immediately poured herself another shot “I”

“I got used tohim,” Nina said quietly “Pour me another ”

By the time she finished her third shot of vodka, Meredith felt a buzzing in her blood

“He would not want us speaking about him in this way,” Mom said “He would want”

In the silence that followed, they all looked at each other Meredith knew they were thinking the sao on?

You just do, she thought, and so she said, “My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving I love everything about it—howthe first Christmas album, the food And I’ll say it now: I hated those daon was the worst Rerees and Nina sang ‘I think I Love You’ for four hundred miles ”

Nina laughed “I loved those ca Christmas is my favorite holiday because I can re Ifor me ”

Meredith had never known that so about the globe, she liked to know that so for her

“I loved your father’s adventurous spirit,” Mo trips were hell Nina, you should never sing in front of people if they cannot leave ”

“Ha!” Meredith said “I kneasn’t crazy Your singing was like listening to a dental drill ”

“Yeah? Well, David Cassidy wrote me a letter ”