tion had dulled, but the weight of it never left. I was in G
ce was weak, straine
lled me. "Alex?
d, little brother. Doctors f
some twisted version of the
ome," I said,
was a blur of anxiety. Alex was
g at our parents' old house, which he now lived in. He look
anized a small "welcome home/Alex is
faces, of the past dredging itself up, was terrif
I tried to blend into the
I saw
iv
le. More beautiful than I remembered. Successful, c
my throat. Six year
ion party, spotted me. One of them, a blonde
ed. Her eye
nt, the wo
friends
y god, it's
d you we
k and fast. Where had I
he inev
aid, her eyes glinting. "Still single? Or did you finall
ia was watching me, he
o protect her from the s
way. For her own go
tone, "I'm with someone. Met her in G
t like ash
something – pain? Disappointment? – crossed her featu
at the graduation party. M
s trying to r
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