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“I wonder if…maybe I’m pushing you too hard.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be,” Ava gasped. “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad.”
“I haven’t had a lot of female…relationships. I haven’t had many relationships at all.”
“Your life hasn’t been easy.”
Her chest tightened. “Yours hasn’t been either. Gunner told me about the boarding school.”
“Yeah. Although, I had Aine.”
“Yes. I’m sorry about your father.”
“Did you think of him that way?”
“No.”
“Neither did we. It’s like our dad died before Petrov did. Does that make sense?”
“It does. My father died when I was a small child.”
“Your mom is very nice.”
Willing her tears away, Zary closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow.
“It’s okay to cry,” Ava whispered.
When she opened her eyes, Ava was crying too.
“I’m sorry,” Zary said again.
“Please don’t be.” Ava sat on the side of the bed. “Would you mind if I hugged you?”
Zary shook her head. “I’d like that.”
“Hey, what about me?” she heard someone say.
Both Zary and Ava looked up and saw Aine had come into the room.
“Get over here, girl,” Ava told her sister, pulling her into their hug.
—:—
“Can I help?”
Gunner looked up from chopping celery and saw Striker standing in his kitchen. He stifled a groan.
“You can do the onions,” he grunted at the man.
Striker laughed and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.
“Who’s this?” asked his mom.
“Mom, meet Striker,” Gunner said without looking up.
He rolled his eyes when he heard his mom say, “Nice to meet you.”
