sllintheair

“ven,”llysled

“furseybutitstbesdifficulth,herface,lkingappalled

llysledandspkethrughgrittedteeth,“yes,itsdiffivenanyvingn,ibettergandjinfriends,”shesaidplitelyanddasheff

“yuallright”danielaskedasshejinedherfriends

“yesiine,thankyu,”sherepeatedfrthetenthtithatnightsheglanceveratjennifer,alefriendstalkingandstaringveratllyanddaniel

“ihavearrived”aludviie,thepartyanil,standingatthersheldhighintheair“ihavenarundtherjustadehiseneis“hilariusly”sllytdanielaupleftisheskdanielshandstiffly,peckedllynthecheekquicklyastughshepinherthratangrilythathadbeenveryrude

hisiledtidlyveratllyfrinutesandtuedttalktherrealfriends,thepepleedherfrthepastyear

llyidlaughtertfaceaverysadlkinghelen

“hi,helen,”shesaidhappily

“

“hiine,”llyndded“yusuldlistentthisstry,itsveryfunny”shesledandntinuedtlistentsharn

helenleftherhannllysadeventuallytappedheragainafterafeinutes“ian,egerry”

llygaveuplisteningtsharn

“sinean”llyunderstdthatpeplestisfeltaenehadbrughtthesubjectuptheelvestheyuldatleastbeadultenughtcarrythenversatinthrughprperly

helenappearedtllysquestin“ididnttsay”

“itsk,helen;iveacceptedthatthatshappened”

“haveyu”

“furseihave,”llyfrwned

“itsjustthatihaventseenyufraverylngtisigetwrried”

llylaughed“helen,istilllivearundtheerfruinthesauseasbefre,pnenuerisstillthesa,asisbilenuerifyueihatdifficultfryutfind”

“hyes,butididnttintrude”shetraileffasifthatinftseeingllysincethefuneral

“friendsntintrude,helen,”llysaidplitely,butshepedshehadgttenherssageacrss

helenschtlyandllytueanswersharn

“keepaseatbesideyu,needtrunttheladiesagain,”sharnasked,ingalittledancenthespt

“again”deniseblurteut“yuinutesag”

“yes,ntldbabypushingthetilet

“itsntainustnths,becausethereanthatthebabynthslnthsandusuallybabiesareetheyrene”

llyfrentyurselfhtughtslikethat”

denisefr,“iighttugh,arenti,t

“yeslve,”hesledslyather

“

thebellettaketheirplacesinthediningareaandthecrinllytkherseatandplacedheehechairbesidehertreserveitfrsharnhelenthechairtsitwn

“srryhelen,butsharnaskedtsavethisseatfrher,”llyexplainedplitely

helenissively“h,sharnind,”shesaid,plnkingherselfadeherlipindisappintntllyaplgizedandtineverthelenasherexuthandpretendedtgagllygiggled

“ieannunpressed

“isthereanyreasnbe”llyrepliedtartly

jaeansesrtretrtthatafeshedidntfindhiunnyanyre,tughsheandgerryhadalngtsepeplebeingstupid

“areyk”danielaskedquietlyfresideher

“yesiine,thankyu,”shereplied,takingasipfwine

“h,ynthavetgivethatbull**anse,”helaughed

llysledandgraned“peplearebeingverynietheirsyathies,”shelbaefthetbedevastatedbeickedjenniferandrlledhereyes“andthentherearethepeple”daniellistenedtherpatiently

henddenthseverye”

“anyethershelvedthearstriesabutherfranielandthenthetuchtheyhatedhe