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happened when I was older. I didn’t have to see my mom’s

crushed, broken body. I did watch my dad die a slow, horrible

death, but he was positive the whole way through. He wasn’t

just keeping up appearances for me. That’s truly the way he

was. We haven’t had the same experiences and we certainly

aren’t the same people. I guess what I’m saying is that…” Her

throat worked hard, and it was nearly impossible for Giana to

hold herself back when she watched Coralyn struggle. She

grasped the door harder, like she needed it to stay standing, but

she held herself together. “I guess what I’m saying is that we

can’t begin to be anything if you’re always going to shut

down. I want to be let in. I want kindness and laughter. I

appreciate that you’re here. You have no idea, Giana. I can’t

believe you came. But if I open this door and offer you

breakfast and believe me it’s not going to be roast caliber, it’s

only going to be because you want to move forward too.” She

blinked rapidly, and there it was, the crack of sunshine peeking

through the clouds in her eyes. “I think you’ve punished me

enough now to accept my apology.”

Giana found herself grinning widely. “I don’t think I’ll ever

have punished you enough, Coralyn Anderson.”

Coralyn groaned. “Maybe not, but there are different kinds

of punishments.”

“What if I can’t be that cheerful, bubbly, happy person that

you’ve invented in your dreams?” She very much doubted she

could. She might as well walk away now if that’s what

Coralyn was demanding.

It wasn’t. “I don’t need the person that I’d like to invent, or

even the person I married, who didn’t know any other way to

be. I just want you. The way I had you between the hours of