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thecellphoneinRosemaryIhadnowaytotalktoyou.”
    IwantedtotellhereverythingbutIcouldn’t.Notyet.Ineededtime.Sheknewaboutmy
    dadalready.SheknewaboutNan.Buttherest…Iknewshedidn’tknow.
    “I’msogladyou’reherebuthowdidyoufindme?”
    Bethygrinnedandtiltedherheadtotheside.“Idrovethroughtownlookingforyourtruck.
    Itwasn’tthathard.Thisplacehaslikeoneredlight.IfIhadblinkedtwiceI’dhavemissedit.”
    “Thatcarprobablycaughtsomeattentioncomingthroughtown,”Isaidglancingoveratit.
    “It’sJace’s.Thatthingrideslikeadream.”
    She was still with Jace. Good. But my chest ached. Jace reminded me of Rosemary. And RosemaryremindedmeofRush.
    “I’daskyouhowyouarebutgirl,youlooklikeawalkingstick igure.Haveyouhadfood sinceyouleftRosemary?”
    Myclotheswereallfallingoffme.Eatinghadbeendif icultwiththelargeknotthatstayed tight in my chest at all times. “It’s been a rough few weeks but I think I’m getting better.
    Movingonfromthings.Dealingwithit.”
    Bethyshiftedhergazetothegravebehindme.Bothofthem.Icouldseethesadnessinher eyes as she read both the headstones. “No one can take away your memories. You have those,”shesaidsqueezingmyhandinhers.
    “I know. I don’t believe them. My father is a liar. I don’t believe any of them. She, my mother, she wouldn’t have done what they claim. If anyone is to blame it is my father. He causedthispain.Notmymomma.Nevermymomma.”
    Bethynoddedandheldmyhand irmlyinhers.Justhavingsomeonelistentomeandknow
    theybelievedme,thattheybelievedmymother’sinnocencehelped.
    “Didyoursisterlookalotlikeyou?”
    ThelastmemoryIhadofValeriewasofhersmiling.Thatbrightsmilethatwassomuch
    prettierthanmine.Herteethwereperfectwithoutthehelpofbraces.Hereyeswerebrighter than mine. But everyone said we were identical. They didn’t see the difference. I always wonderedwhy.Icouldseeitsoclearly.
    “Wewereidentical,”Ireplied.Bethywouldn’tunderstandthetruth.
    “Ican’timaginetwoBlaireWynns.Y’allmusthavebrokenheartsalloverthislittletown.”
    Shewastryingtolightenthemoodafteraskingaboutmydeceasedsister.Iappreciatedit.
    “JustValerie.IwaswithCainfromthetimeIwasyoung.Ididn’tbreakanyhearts.”
    Bethy’seyeswentalittlewidethensheglancedawaybeforeclearingherthroat.Iwaited untilsheturnedbacktome.“Althoughseeingyouisawesomeandwecouldtotallyrockthis town,I’mactuallyhereforapurpose.”
    IassumedshewasIjustcouldn’tfigureoutwhatthatpurposewasexactly.
    “Okay,”Isaidwaitingformoreofanexplanation.
    “Canwetalkaboutthisoveracoffee?”Shefrownedthenglancedbackatthestreet.“Or
    maybetheDairyKsincethat’sliketheonlyplaceIsawwhenIdrovethroughtown.”
    Shewasn’tcomfortablehangingoutamongstthegraveslikeIwas.Thatwasnormal.Iwas
    not.“Yeah,okay,”Isaidandwalkedovertopickupmypurse.
    “ There’syouranswer,” asoftvoicewhisperedsoquietlyIalmostthoughtI’dimaginedit.
    TurningtolookbackatBethyshewassmilingwithherhandstuckedinherfrontpockets.
    “Didyousaysomething?”Iaskedconfused.
    “Uh,youmeanafterIsuggestedwegototheDairyK?”sheasked.
    Inodded.“Yeah.Didyouwhispersomething?”
    Shescrunchedhernoseandthenglancedaroundnervouslyandshookherhead.“Nope…
    um…whydon’twegetoutofhere?”shesaidreachingformyarmandpullingmebehindher
    backtowardJace’scar.
    Ilookedbackatmymom’sgraveandapeacesettledoverme.Hadthatbeen…?No.Surely
    not.Shakingmyhead,Iturnedbackaroundandwenttogetintothepassengersidebefore
    Bethythrewmein.

    Rush

    It was my mother’s birthday. Nan had called me twice already asking me to call our mother. I couldn’t do it. She was on a beach in the Bahamas with him . This hadn’t affected her at all. Once again she’d run off to enjoy her life while leaving her kids behind to figure things out.
    “Nan’s calling again. You want me to answer it and tell her to leave you the hell alone?”
    Grantwalkedintothelivingroomholdingupmycellphoneinhishandwhileitrang.
    Those two fought like actual siblings. “No, give it to me,” I replied as he tossed me the