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His voice was low and rough, like he ate cigarettes for breakfast I had a sudden flash of being a girl and running on the beach in California, he and , sharing a bottle of wine Had that really happened? Did I really possess a normal childhood at some point, or were all my memories a lie?

"Well, co you" He held the door open and I gingerly walked in, brushing my memories aside The place ell-kept but had all the earh the linoleum-tiled kitchen, the art work on the walls consisted of landscape portraits that were probably painted in the 1970s, and the air sh-powered fans in every roo to combat the heat

We ended the tour on the back porch where a shiny barbeque and a few patio chairs stood a beer cans and ashtrays Cattle called in the distance, the fields of tan spreading out for et you settled and I’ll start up sorill "We’ll need to get our bellies full before we start getting to the bottouard "Bottorin, "I know there’s a good reason why you contactedsouess I wasn’t very good at being subtle Here I was, trying to learn to be a con artist and I was already failing before I’d started

He slapped ood cop if I wasn’t suspicious of everyone You learn to spot the signs You go get your stuff andto kick you out, noto tell me If you’re honest with ht now I don’t get a lot of co me a favor, too"

And with that assurance, I headed out to the truck and started unpackingdown into my next transitional life

When I felt like I’d put just the tips of my roots into the room, it was time for lunch He piled my paper plate with a thick, juicy ribeye and baked beans, food I’d missed out on over the last few days on the road

"Don’tback into his chair and resting his feet on the railing "Some days I don’t have time to do dishes, so I find this to be a hell of a lot easier"

"I’ll have to remember that," I told him, and cracked open a beer from the six-pack he’d just put on the table

Wethe stiff breeze that occasionally ca my hair froh any ristle and ot to talking

"So, Ellie," he began, belching unapologetically "What’s your story? Why are you here?"

What was in?

"Well, you know about what happened to ain"

"Yes I sure do Though I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t emailed me I haven’t talked to your parents since…well…"

His voice trailed off and I knehat he was thinking He was thinking about the accident I think my parents lost a lot of friends around that tihter

I went on, feeling it was too soon to dive into it "So after high school was over and I left Palm Valley, I found out my uncle had a heart attack and I went back to help him on the date farm"

"Where were you before?"

"Colorado," I said

"Doing what?"

I shrugged What the hell had I been doing? After high school was over, I just drifted around fro odd jobs I didn’t have a real life or a real purpose Nothing seeible until I realized what I had to do

"I was just trying to survive"

He cocked his head and gavenow?"

I pursedto try and make the best of it I want to do more than survive I want to live"