ep mountains of Appalach

a gift. It

y mean it with all the pain and conviction

ken a word. I write notes. I use my hands. Everyone in our small town,

mmunity college. It' s a qu

and power. Her family owns a massive pharmaceutical co

been told by a fortune teller that marrying a "silent man born under a certain star" would pro

ted to see me settled and happy. She came to live with us in Nicol

t for Nicole' s company. He' s also from my hometown. My family, through our church, helped him w

he looked at me with a mix of pity and con

came crashing do

e. My mother, wanting only to help, decided to make her special pecan pie. It

ge, carefully pressing the crust. The smell of toasted

. He and Nicole were in the living room, the

china plate. "For Nicole," she whispered to me, her

ore I could get to Nicole

angel," he said, his voice sm

oo slow to react. I knew. I knew he had a nut allergy. A deadly one

o sound came out. My throat was locked from yea

took a l

, a strange, tr

He started clawing at his throat, making horribl

r phone call, a critical one with

other, who stood frozen in the doorway,

ng, turning a dark, ugly r

It was happening r

that chilled me to the bone