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“In private?”

Mom raises her eyebrows and looks down atsneakers and pushes his legs off et out of here with your shoes on, mister”

Alex gruain but bends to untie his shoes, kicks thees out to the hallway

“Close the door behind you,” Mom calls

Alex returns to shut the door a bit harder than necessary

Moives me her full attention, and I take a seat across fro it away from theto face her This conversation is ht it would be, but if I don’t have it, it will linger in my mind and fester

“I didn’t realize how ot hoht now I missed you so much”

“Please don’t” I laugh

“Hoas the flight? We haven’t actually had a chance to talk alone since you’ve been back, and I apologize for that I’ve been so caught up with this fundraising event for the wo—that I haven’t had ti on”

This is just going toI’ out and onto campus

“I thought you’d have a British accent”

She really is funny “We’ve spoken every week for four months—you knew I didn’t pick up an accent”

Mo you would Like Madonna when she lived in London”

“Who?”

She groans and runs a hand down her face “Don’t make me feel old”

I pick up a pencil on ainst the wooden top, knee bouncing below it

“So I’ve been thinking about ement the past few days”

This has Mo her hands in her lap She nods