ise

loud of Bennie from my mind as my fathe

me. His voice was weak. "That young man fr

kept my face smooth. "Yes,

ng moment, so long I was sure

his eyes I hadn't seen in months. "Polite. Has a firm

I knew who he meant. I looked do

advantage of again. With our family in this state, I

eyes. Even now, his f

I forced my voice to sound bright and happy. "Harrison is wonderful to me

t before to keep Dad in the hospital, but until now, I had only spoken of an

lie on top of another, packaging Harrison's "investment" as a gift of lov

up, a genuine, hear

pology to Harrison forming in my mind. I was

lips trembling with emotion. "Our Elly has foun

ar. "You have to live. You have to see Leo get better,

his face since he got sick. He patted my h

ad worked. The guilt was a heavy stone in my stom

slipped out into the hal

the unsent message to Harrison. Afte

, but had also cast him as a saintly, self-sacrificing hero

k I was using him, pushing far bey

ling, his repl

se? Fine. My lawyer

ill go down my spine. Who uses a lawyer to

business" the kind of thing that had l

ny but persistent, bega

rocess that, ano

w to compensate me. I just pushed back a mil

ack for a second.

a land of giants. The gap between us wa

typed back, "What kind of

was almo

Don't forget, you're still my

laugh bubbling up in my chest. After a

like an equal exchange, not just me taking and hi