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“Uh-huh,” I said “And you think playing the the door down?”

“Hell no But playing souys that always come over to see Dad”

“Oh, God, Sa?” I asked, appalled

“What?” she said incredulously “Italian boys are suckers for Billy Joel I don’t uy who runs errands for my uncle He’s like twenty-two, but he has a jaw you could crack rocks on”

“You alere a sucker for a strong jaw”

“I knohat I like,” she said, shrugging

“Alright, well, if cooking shows are out, and I a to watch?”

“I know,” she said

There was a moment where we just stared at each other, and then I rolled my eyes

“Titanic,” we said simultaneously The only difference was inflection Mine was thoroughly resigned

“You’ll be asleep twenty minutes in,” I said

“It’ll be like sleepovers ere sixteen,” she said “Come on Put it on I know you have the DVD You stole it from me”

“It was in with, Sam that had several DVDs I brought with me from home

“You kno ht it over torelated to that ally ain, I don’t make the rules”

“Yes, you do, but I love you anyway,” I said “I’ll prop you up and start the ht back”

“Oh, before you do that,” she said The tone of her voice was back to being weird I stopped and waited

“Yes?”

“I don’t want you to freak out,” she said “But Dad thinks so around, and there’s been some talk Now, all I know is you are down south, and near soine anyone else would know more But keep your eyes open, okay?”

I nodded, doing everything I could not to let her kno nervous I was now

“I won’t let uard down,” I said “Thanks for the heads-up”

“Good,” she said “Now start the movie I want to see the Irish dance scene before I pass out”

I went into work the next day, trying to not think about what Saood first i-distance hangout with Saood for my soul

The job was easy, and I settled into it quickly, ringing up purchases and getting to know some of the locals I tried to acquaint myself with the store so that I would be helpful to customers who came in