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Bonding with her children was one thing Getting cozy with her was quite another And I realized exactly why a moment later while she watched me dip my crust into the tomato soup to take my first bite

"Pick says you didn’t have that scar before you were arrested"

And here came the reason adults were so much more complicated They asked questions you didn’t want to answer Though to be honest, ht she’d attack

I touched the area briefly "No" My gruff answer put out the warning signals, cautioning her not to go there "I didn’t"

But she did, anyway "Did you get it when you killed those twoto answer All the while, intowardof the tip as it sliced open my flesh, tasted the blood as it dripped into my mouth

"So it’s a story you don’t wish to share" Eva nodded respectfully "I have a couple of those" But instead of leaving me be, she kept on "Pick says you look totally different, ruffer You even walk different, with a bit of a li the distinct black sole of the boot that had hurled at ht before it kicked inwhen they’d stabbed that, I cleareddown a dry piece of toast

"I lifted weights a lot to help pass the tiive her so

She sured you weren’t the type who liked to stay idle"

"No, ma’am"

With a nod, she added, "Maybe you’d like to help me carry some boxes of old baby clothes down tothen"

"Okay" I put down hed and waved me back into my seat

"Not now After you eat There’s no hurry They’ve been boxed up and ready to take to Goodwill for weeks I keepto ask Pick to carry theet distracted whenever I see him"