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“Sood”

She waved her hands toward a shelf in the corner “I’ve been entertainingleftovers to school for Pip and—”

“You’ve been bringing him lunch?”

“Well, yeah” She half-soods more”

“He’s got a serious sweet tooth” I didn’t knohat else to say “I can’t believe you’ve been doing that”

“Well, I’ to find out where I ao to school and coht home Get my homework done Talk to Vienna Cook and bake”

“I’ about them”

She shrugged “Dex comes by, but he was on the road for a little while”

“Have you heard from your aunt and uncle?”

“No and that freaks me out a little bit”

The oven dinged and she pulled the door down and leaned in to grab a tray

“I can do that for you,” I offered

“It’s okay” She set the tray on top of the stove Thick, crusty wedges of Italian bread slid to the edge My mouth watered “What’s that?”

“Garlic bread” She ripped off a paper towel and used a pair of tongs to place one of the slices in the middle, then handed it to me “Careful, it’s hot”

Absolutely ravenous, I tore into the bread, not caring that it singed the roof ofeverywhere

She chuckled at me “Go sit down”

I was only in her way, so I sat at the table and finishedpieces of garlic bread in a basket and set it on the table in front of rabbed another slice and bit into it

“Do you need ?” I asked

“No” She opened the fridge “Is milk okay?”

“It’s perfect” I paid careful attention to where she pulled itelasses caerator Looked like plates were to the left of that one I’d let her wait on me today, but by tomorroanted to be useful around here

“Okay” She set a huge bowl of spaghetti coated in richutensils stuck out of the bowl “Go ahead”

“Juliet, I’obble that entire bowl”

She hesitated and glanced at the refrigerator “I can eat a—”