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My hand reflexively tightens on Linc's and he looks at me with surprise I don't knohat my face looks like, but his face i?" he asks

"It's my father"

And there he is, walking into the dining rooift in his hand

It galls o in ht

My dad looks at me, then at Linc, then at my mom He walks over to her "Happy birthday, Sammy"

I wince as"Thanks, John Is that for me?"

"Yeah Just a little soift

"That's so sweet Thank you" My ift and just holds it She looks at me orry The silence is oppressive and my mom seeks to alleviate it

"Johnthis is Linc Caldwell He's a friend of Ever's"

My dad steps around the table and Linc stands to greet hi my hand I feel cold and alone "It's nice to omery"

"Likewise"

Linc sits back down and i his thuive h he has no idea why I need it The silence gets thick again, and lances back and forth between me and my mom

"Would you like some cake, John?" My mom is nervous, I can tell I can alleviate this nervousness if I wanted, si to my dad But I don't

"No thanks Cathryn is expecting me home for dinner I wanted to stop by and talk to Ever actually"

My hand tightens around Linc's again, and I just stare at h My racious southern woman that she is, said, "Lincwhy don't you help me in the kitchen while Ever and her dad talk"

I finally findto say to him"

The look on my dad's face is pained and lance to Linc and he has the sa since he felt me tense up when my dad walked in

"Ever," my mom pleads "It's my birthday Pleasejust talk to him"

I stand up fro Linc's hand I can feel the tell-tale sign of tears stingingfor my dad, and normally my love for her would win out But I just can't do it

"I' to take a walk"

I spin on my heel, and practically flee the house I can hear my mother call afterit halfway down the block before I slon

Within just a minute, I hear footsteps besidehis hand in , just walks beside me while he holds my hand

Three blocks down fro really but a sround equipment and nice shrubbery Linc leads me over to a bench and we sit down He puts his ar me into his shoulder

"Whatever it isyou can tell me," he offers and kisses the top of my head

I'm silent for a minute, but then I decide to let Linc know exactly how fucked up I aot cancer, I was just sixteen You knowit's that tiht? I was Captain of our cross country tea was just perfect in nosis was gri really hard, even before she started her actual treatment My dadhe was in denial at first, but then as o her treatments, he started to understand how real it was"

"What happened?" Linc asks

I turn my head up to look at him "He left us, Linc He left us because he couldn't deal withsick"

"He left?" Linc is bewildered by my accusation