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“Hoe do that?” She looked to me orry painted all over her face

Alexis jumped up and doith her hand raised in the air “I’o in there and do et out of there”

Laura looked to me like I was the older sister I squeezed her hand and walked back to the church “Stay here, I’ll be right back”

I turned to Alexis “You sure you’re up for this?”

Alexis interlocked her hands and cracked her knuckles “It’s what I do best” Cli the steps to the church, she messed up her hair With a thuh the doors of the church “Chet, how could you? You toldto marry me And what about our baby?”

A collective gasp so loud they probably heard it all over the tri-state area whooshed out of the doors

I ducked into the roorabbed my purse and a set of keys to the classic car Chet had borrowed for their big drive to the reception The voices in the church got louder People shouting and scraan music even before it came to an abrupt stop

Swinging the keys overhead, I joined Laura outside “You ready?”

She stared up at the loo church and looked back to me “Ready”

“Let’s do this”

43

Berk

Jogging across the street, I straightened the bow I’d tied around the box cradled in reith each step I took until it was hard to breathe The steps groaned under ht and I prayed Jules hadn’t heard, probably at her spot in the kitchen in front of the oven, sliding in a cookie sheet full of treats that would taste even better than the last ones, excited to share thehten their day

Alexis toldwith her proe forced onto Jules The look in her eyes as I’d lashed out, trying to bury my own pain It was still hard to think about

I’d carved out a part of my heart when I pushed her away When I didn’t believe her There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t give to erase that froive her a bit of the memories she’d missed out on