stern, uniformed photo. My hand trembled, not from the cold of the Cleveland autumn, but from the war raging inside my own blood.

hey were busy, I knew. Busy preparing for Molly' s "Sweet 19" birthday party. My adopted

desperation. I took a number and waited, my body aching with a fatigue that went bone-deep. When my number was called

I help yo

inquire about... death benefits. For mysel

ney, you look a little youn

ublic hospital across the counter. "It's late-stage. Th

stared at the paper, then at me. Her eye

said, the words

the office flew open. My father, Matthew Fuller, stormed in, his police detective' s badge glinting on his belt. My mother, Jennifer, and my brother, Andr

What the hell do you think you're doing? Wasting public resources on a weekday? Do you hav

er from the clerk's desk,

? Gabrielle, this is a new low, even for you. You' ve be

g beautifully. "Please stop this. Stop lying and

se. Blood dripped onto my chin, then splattered onto the linoleum floor. I didn' t bot

make sure my cremation in three