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His ain,” she said, hanging up the phone

“Keira,” she said, getting to her in two steps “What you heardIt was just…it was just…” she sputtered

“You were just talking to Eric’s dad, who he thinks ran out on you guys and you haven’t had any contact with since that day,” she said, her blood boiling for Eric

“Take a seat, Keira,” she said, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table She poured Keira a cup of tea After stirring her tea for what hed and looked up at Keira with tears in her eyes

“I’ve kept hiured it was better for the boys to think their dad just walked out on them, rather than knoas a junkie ould have made us homeless before he kicked his habit”

“You don’t think Eric could handle it? He’s a man now He deserves to know,” she said, unable to believe histo him all this time

“That guitar he has, Vicki? I bought her back froht Ito let hiht up in what he was mixed up in He’d taken out tens of thousands of dollar’s worth of loans out on this house, I had to work the extra jobs to keep a roof over our heads I didn’t knohat else to do I loved et clean and he could come home He hasn’t been back in fifteen years”

“Eric has the right to know,” Keira said, glanci

ng up toward the stairs

“I know I know he does and I’ll tell hiht have of his father But I’ll do it I’ll do it when the tiave her a hard look “I will But I need to tell hi until I’ve told hi her hand

Keira ran her hands through her hair She didn’t want to keep secrets from Eric, but it wasn’t her place to tell hih all these years, raising the two of theh Asto tell hi about it

“Okay, I won’t say anything,” she said, hoping she was ht choice

25

The knock on the dressing roo, he stood and crossed the dressing rooive hiht need a little special attention to keep his nerves at bay He flung open his door and his face dropped

“Talia, what are you doing here?” She stood in the doorway, leaning against it with one arm stretched up over her head Her smoky eyeshadow, halter top and leather pants screamed rocker chick