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"You went to see that woman too, didn’t you? Iris You went to see her How could you do this to me?"

"I didn’t do it to you Nor did I do it to spite you or to hurt you This doesn’t have anything to do with you" But Marcia sure liked to make it about her

"Doesn’t it matter to you that your mother is dead because of her son? If she hadn’t mated with him--"

"I wouldn’t have been born Does that not matter to you?"

Geoffrey intervened then "Francesca, you knoe love you You may not wish to hurt us, but this situation does cause us pain"

Frankie looked at him "I’m sorry if that’s the case"

"I don’t think you really are," clipped Marcia "Don’t you see that they’re beasts? They’re barbaric Pitiless Vile"

"They’re people," said Frankie "They drink coffee, play video games, make cookies, and watch TV" They just also happened to shift into aniain, Francesca, I won’t have it"

Again with this shit? Frankie sighed "I’ home You all enjoy the rest of your day" She strode out of the rooht her by the ar"

"It doesn’t have to hurt the on pack territory or denouncing the fauilty for this Not by theuilty I just can’t approve of it They’ll never approve of it"

"That’s the thing, Brad I’ I understand that this is hard for the them to be okay with it--that truly wouldn’t be fair I just want them to let me be But they won’t--not about this, not about any decision I make that they don’t like After all, they know best I live in a fantasyland where I’o, I’ll see you later" She pulled her arhout the drive hoer had fizzled out She was no longer pissed She was tired Weary Sad It seemed that no matter what move she made, there was someone she disappointed

Any other time, she’d have shut herself in her studio and disappeared into her oorld as she worked on her sculpture While her hand was still sore, that wasn’t going to happen

So instead she poured herself a glass of red wine and headed through the patio door, out onto the deck The breeze was slightly chilly, so she flung sos into the fire pit and then settled on one of the rocking chairs She sighed at the feel of the sun-warmed wood at her back and the scents of woodsrant flowers

Yes, this hat she needed

It was a pretty garden Stepping-stone path, patches of colorful flowers, and plants growing in cute little planters But she couldn’t take credit for it The only real contributions she’d made were the sculptures and the mermaid fountain It was Marcia who’d done the rest Marcia who’d bought the nolia tree, the wisteria on the trellis, and the flower boxes of e, roses, and lily of the valley

"Every woman needs a little sanctuary where she can relax," Marcia had said