“Awareness zipped up my spine. Too tired to fight, I ignored him. Or tried to. Surprisingly, I fell asleep. He was gone the next morning, the throw rugs on the chair telling me he’d slept there. Mom was already in the kitchen, a hearty breakfast on the stove. She still wore her pajamas and her graying blonde hair was mussed from sleep. It was my first meet in weeks, and my stomach churned. I always got nervous before a meet. “Can’t eat?” Mom asked, placing a lunch bag with my usual swim energy s...upplies—banana, granola bars, and bottled water—on the counter. She knew me too well. I gave up the pretense of eating and put down the fork. The weather didn’t help either. It was raining hard. The situation with Echo and the Grimnirs made things worse. Mom gave me a hug, and I let my head rest on her stomach and wrapped my arms around her waist. I needed a mommy-and-me moment. I needed to feel loved. “Are you coming to the meet?” I’d never asked before. She chuckled. “What a silly question.MoreLessRead More Read Less
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