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“I don’t know s?”

I go rigid Why is she asking s? Surely she can’t know about my past

Can she?

Before I can think of how to reply, she continues

“This cousin I’ and possession”

“Oh” Relief sweeps through s?”

“I don’t know My aunt just said it was selling and possession of a controlled substance”

“Probably narcotics, then,” I say a little too quickly

“Narcotics?”

“Yeah Oxycodone, Fentanyl, the like”

She cocks her head “So you do know a thing or two about drugs”

“I’ve never taken the was always alcohol, no matter what else I had access to

And I had access to a lot

“I was hoping it was so harmless, like pot”

“How long has he been inside?”

“Almost ten years”

“Then it wouldn’t be pot Hardly anyone gets incarcerated for pot anyal at the federal level”

Damn I should shut up I wait I wait for the inevitable question How do you know so s, Luke?

But the question doesn’t come

“He was supposed to get out on parole last year,” she continues, “but apparently he got into a fight or so was canceled”

“Why do you want to see him?” I ask “Are you close?”

She drops her gaze to the napkin in her lap

“Katelyn?”

“We were once When ere kids But so happened to him”

I nod I get it

I’ve been there

“What do you want to talk to him about?” I ask

“I just want to…you know To say hi”

Her gaze is still fixed on her lap

Maybe she’s telling the truth Except if it is the truth, it’s far from the whole truth I hesitate to push her further, but ets the better ofher jailbird cousin

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“About ten years ago”

“I see” Though I don’t see I don’t see at all

“We weren’t on the best of terms the last timeeach other,” she offers

I resist the urge to lift my eyebrows “Oh?”

She inhales sharply “No He… He did so to ain Was it worth it?”

I reach across the table and lay my hand over hers “What, Katelyn? What did he do?”

25

Katelyn

I awaken in a dark room I can’t see What happened? Aers curl into fists

Then h of heavy relief