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“On purpose?”

“Mostly.”

Mack makes a sound into his fist. Tova looks from the buckle to me.

“You got on a wild horse.”

“Several.”

“And you think hockey injured you?”

“Finally, somebody’s asking the right questions.”

She starts laughing, and Mack points at me. “And now she knows where Tex comes from.”

Tova shakes her head. “This family is very strange.”

“You volunteered.”

Her laughter stops and she looks down at the flower basket.

“I know.”

The room changes by half an inch. She smooths one of the white petals with the side of her finger.

“I asked Mamma if I could be flower girl.”

“I know.”

“She didn’t ask me.”

“I know that too.”

Tova looks up. “I wanted to.”

“Okay, kid.”

She studies me.

“Also Gabi says if you’re late to your own wedding after already being married, she’s going to kill you.”

Mack pushes off the dresser.

“There’s the urgency I was waiting for.”

Chapter fifty-two

Astrid

Gabi wants my hair up. I want it down.

It is down.

“You could have let me win one thing today,” she says, and puts the last pin back in its box.

“You won the flowers.”

“I won the flowers because you didn’t care about the flowers.”