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Finally my vision is restored I take in the face on the other side of the glass Dark brown hair shaved close to his head Dark brown eyes and bushy brows that could use a good plucking

Just like Uncle Bruno’s

Except Tony was handso Marlon Brando lookalike

Not this Tony This Tony has graying stubble and a scar across his left cheek His lips are full but chapped Looking closely, I see the flaky dried skin on them

I clear my throat and hope my vocal cords are back online “Hello, Tony”

“Who are you?” He narrows his eyes “Fuck, no Not Katelyn”

I nod “It’s me”

He nearly drops the phone “Fuck,” he says again

“I have a question for you,” I say

“What?” he spits out

“Why? Why did you do what you did?”

He doesn’t answer right away I fear he may not, when finally—

“I didn’t want to”

“That’s not an answer”

“I had no choice”

“Bull There’s always a choice”

“I was selfish,” he says “It was you or me”

I don’t knohy I’ out a tiny sliver of hope that somewhere inside this man was the Tony who shared his shaved ice with h I sucked at it The Tony who once vowed to ht

Apparently not

“You got into trouble”

“Well, duh I’m in prison, for God’s sake”

“You weren’t in prison then”

“Look, I’ve done my penance for that It cost me my brother”

“It cost you your cousin, too”

He looks down Is that remorse I see in his eyes?

I can’t tell through the plexiglass It’s not exactly clean Plus…he looks so different froued Used up

I can relate

“You’re still here,” he finally says

“No thanks to you I was rescued by some heroic and honorable people”

“Good on them”

“Cut the crap, Tony” Courage courses through me A welcome emotion “Why? Why did it have to be me?”

“Would you rather it have been someone else?”

“Don’t put me on the defensive I’m not the one who screwed up I’m not the one behind bars because of my screw-ups”

“Lo”

“Lo? Really? You hadme I dealt a lo?”

He nearly drops the phone receiver “What? Hunted?”