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I grabbed the cloth and soap again Her eyelids fluttered as I washed her up I helped her out of the tub, careful of the water spilled all over the floor, and toweled her off Sliding the T-shirt over her head, I let ot her into ed

I’d never been happier the season was over We stayed in bed for a solid two days Jack begrudgingly supplied us with burgers fro out my laptop and set it up in the bedroom so we could watch movies Take-out boxes littered the floor around ht those thoughts froasms

She nibbled on her bottoed on the center of my bed I lay back with aze tracked every parting of her lips as she tried to get her thoughts together The gears were turning in her head

“I’ to med school,” she blurted out

Keeping my expression neutral, I sat up “Why not? Grant said you’d made up your mind”

“I had I’d started looking up application deadlines, even finished a few online the night of…you know” She picked at the blankets beneath her

“What changed between then and now?”

She looked atdown that path was the safest It as expected of me It was the path I needed to take to prove toon the s out of my apartment with the whole world on fire around h my head?”

“Run?”

She smiled and lobbed a pillow at my head “Well, after that It was you It was you and Colm, Heath, Declan, Mak, Kara, Ehtened “Grant It was that I wouldn’t be able to dance again if soain, and I wouldn’t get to aritas for everyone or kick your ass at Scrabble That’s what’s most important to me That’s what I need to cherish, not run away froenough time for anyone I alanted to be like my parents, but I don’t want that anymore They weren’t ever there forto live up to some ideal they had in their minds is insane I don’t want that”

“Good” I covered the back of her hand withdoctor, but that’s not who you were meant to be”

“Now I just have to figure out how to tell Col across olden cascade

“We can do it together” I threaded ed her across my lap “Then you can teach me a few moves, and maybe I’ll join in on your next class I can be your assistant”

She threw her head back “I thought you hated people staring at you”

“For you, I’d make that sacrifice” I sat up and peppered her face with kisses Her laughter was thein the world, and I’d spend the rest ofsure she did it every day