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Who has heard a heck of a lot worse over the years She raised two boys of her own and then she raised us, the next generation of beast- IShe’s seen and heard it all But still

“I wasn’t- that wasn’t what…”

“You agreed to a one night and you agreed not to exchange names?” Grandma asks “How did it work, you knoith your masks on?”

“We didn’t keep our et into the details! The point is, it was dark, okay? It was dark, and yes, ere both adults at the point in our lives where we didn’t need, nor want, anything reed to leave it at that She was burned a few ti I don’t have time for it-”

“Between the plant conferences and cacti hu…”

“Wesley, I think you should set the table,” Grandma says in her deceptively polite tone What she really ht chase hi where hishiood old fashioned flickin’ even though she’s never handed out one of those in her life

Wes a under his breath He takes out plates and gets knives and forks ready The big dining table is technically still in the i open room, but still He has to walk at least twenty feet away froh space that I feel like I can breathe

I sigh as I produce the earring out of my pocket I pass it over to Grandma, who takes it and studies it with keen interest “She earing these She left one at ht be a fa I wanted to return it to her That’s all”

Grande nod, where her head bobs up and down at irregular intervals She passes back the earring caloes over to the stove to flip the pancakes out onto the plate she has waiting She pours another batch in while I dopancake punishment

“I’ve seen those earrings before”

“I figured you would knoho they belonged to since you helped organize the ball andare your friends”

“If by friends you mean a bunch of biddies anted to have a blast and support a good cause, then yes,” Grandrin

Grandma is one of those woht with senerally down, shiny and combed out, past her shoulders She alears blue, never any other color I have no idea why Maybe she just likes it Today she’s wearing a blue flowy dress with a belt around her slim waist She has blue flats on with little blue flowers and a blue scarf tied into her hair She’s the vision of beauty and when her eyes twinkle at lint, I know that I’ve bitten offabout her lead breakfast in the pan there

“Those earrings are special I saw thehter They were a gift A very unique gift I’d say that you’re right You should give it back to her Leandra’s probably sick orry”

Just like that Her naue like honey and swirls through the roo My body feels heavy with it, hten It’s like I’ve eaten a stack of pancakes already, except this pain is ood one

“She could have come to the house and collected it She knohere I live, even if we didn’t exchange names She still left from there, and no, I didn’t blindfold her”

“She probably didn’t knohere she lost it And if you agreed to a single night, she likely didn’t want to show up and pester you She probably thought it would look desperate and she’s a strong woirl with one heck of a family”

I know the na about therandma’s friends and I think she’s very rich and has azines or newspapers or so