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Jory went away and left me to amuseMalcolm Was Momma really so sinful? How could I talk to Jory like I used to, when he wouldn't believe Moht it was Dr Paul, and it wasn't, wasn't
Later on at dinner, while Mos that lared at the yellow tablecloth Why did Daddy want Momma to use a yellow tablecloth at least once a week? Why did he keep saying she had to learn to forgive and forget? Then Jory spoke up
"Mo her to a movie and then to a supperclub that doesn't serve hard liquor Will it be all right if I kiss her good night?"
"Such a h, while I sat in ht, and tell her howand that's all"
"Yes, Mother," he said"I know your lesson by heart Melodie is a sweet, nice, innocent girl ould be insulted if I took advantage of her, so I'll insult her by not taking advantage"
She oing?" Jory sang out before he returned to his roohtstand
Stupid question Already she'd told hi absorbed her every wakeful ht, and Daddy was coht on As forto happen next So it all up, and it hadn't happened to her, it hadn't She was pretending, the way I did
"Jory," she asked, "have you been bothering my script? I can't find some of my chapters"
"Gosh, Mom, you knoouldn't read what you write without your permission--do I have your permission?"
She laughed "So to insist you read , so it may end up two books"
"Where are you getting your ideas?"
Stooping, she picked up an old spiral-bound book "Froh the pages "See how large I wrote when I elve? As I grew olderbecame more precise and much smaller"
Suddenly Jory snatched the spiral-bound book from her hands, then ran to a here he could read a few lines before she had it back in her hands "You misspelled a feords, Mom," he teased
I hated their relationship; they were more like friends thanon lined paper before she typed those words up Hated all her junk, her pencils, pens, erasers, and the new books she'd bought for her new project Didn't have a mother anymore; didn't have a father Never had a real father Had nobody, not even a pet
Su old now, like me My bones felt old and brittle, ht, as Malcolood as it used to be, and no toy gave rande as it had