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I tried to think of the right answer I was totally at sea here "I, uh, I think she's trying to give you space"

Another grunt, this one a me like every five seconds"

"She was really scared," I said quietly "And I think she's worried about you She kno et into et hurt"

"She never says anything bad about him," Thatcher said, his eyes still fixed on his shoes "Soets weird when hemean about him"

"Does he say stuff like that about her?" Maybe I shouldn't pry, but I was dying to get inside Thatcher's head, to figure out what he was thinking

"Nah Heus have junk food and stuff, but he never… I think he soether"

"Only sometimes?"

A flash of that grin that reht, she doesn't put up with a lot of crap" He raised an eyebrow at e smirk on his face "Dad wouldn't make it five minutes in our house He'd leave his shoes on the floor or forget to throw his laundry in the hamper and she'd kick his butt" The smirk melted away "She wouldn't take him back anyway"

"Do you wish she would?" I asked quietly, not sure he'd answer

After an endlessthe heel of his sneaker on the carpet, he said, "No My dad is fun when he's around, but ust and I try to do our stuff, like take out the trash and help with the dishes, but she's tired a lot My dad wouldn't make her happy"

There was nothing I could say to that I was glad he didn't have fantasies of his parents getting back together One hurdle we didn't have to worry about Thatcher slantedhe wasme

"She needs someone who can make her happy"

"I agree," I said carefully