ter

s lips t

dric

pla

rd left no ro

m her cheek and tried

d for you to fi

's eyes

out wh

e look

ed to t

he

mained

ve years?" Kendri

ick, p

N

cracked

e. I've been patient for five years

osed h

as r

made the truth e

s sca

expressio

ed of

N

n wh

uld happen

t out a hum

t I wouldn'

ediately sh

ow what you

er gave me the c

t him throug

ck. I had two babies. I ha

as their

swered more th

p tightened ar

y i

reathing be

dric

t, Met

pped down

es

e body we

herself t

y is your

closed

er bro

's voic

son

le

onds, Kendrick

chil

chil

f birthdays

t st

t wo

ays of

y fe

nigh

y sm

issed ev

adn't ev

you going t

n't k

don't

lling myse

hy didn

e swal

ed telling you, I imagined y

k's eye

never d

n't kno

their

m their

ally broke th

hey cried. I was there when they were sick. I was there whe

a hand again

y whole lif

came

wiped

trying to

t were yo

cting

om

sing eve

into the darkn

ed to b

as a

ger was something

gr

the little girl

e had smil

without knowing why his pres

daug

ghter in his arms witho

quieter when h

know wh

ane

N

ow anything

N

ck swa

k their father

couldn't

leaned

Lily

w wh

'm her

N

dded

oo

ne fr

ha

m hearing this fr

art sk

re you

to walk into their lives and

tared at

the conversation began,

contr

righteni

stake that fo

's eyes

pect you to

know what

pau

t y

ilence f

endric

ou leave t

's hear

as harder than

me it mean

brows pulle

old you to

dn't ha

ughed

that what happened betwe

at's what we

ught s

what c

the bedroom where th

ey

k said

never part

ice so

ard their heartbeats

k looke

while he had been living his life, Meth

ieces of him he had

hone

e from h

. Lillian will be there. We n

tared at t

ked back at

was stil

ve to

was bare

you a

ck hes

es

eart

t only

ed the

wly lowered

at the bl

was no long

hat wasn't the

w had a place in the lives of the two chi

what that would me

rick arrived at hi

oom was alre

t at the head

him was

p when Kendr

ile wa

ck couldn'

ok hi

poured hims

discuss th

k looke

ton

s expressio

recisely

remained

k leane

anyone until I s

ther f

more important than th

looked at

k at his

chil

ent comple

smile di

ass stopped hal

did yo

's voice

I have c

ized that the woman from Kendrick's past

mother of

re his family had

ust c