t the rest of the night packing my things. Every object held a memory, a ghost of a prom

home. She didn' t ca

s, checking the hospitals. Tonight, I felt nothing. A vast, empty

itar pick, engraved with the date we first met. I held it for a m

ell onto the c

a furious pounding on the door. I stumbl

mother, stood there,

o the apartment. "Don' t you know what day it is? You

simple t-shirt and sweatpants with disdain. "Look a

Diane demanded aga

e raw with anger. "And you have n

y," she sneered. "Go get d

I walked to the bathroom and closed the do

there. She stood beside her mother, looking tired but beautiful,

" Kendal said,

honey, you have to talk to Brock. My nephew needs to get into that priv

greedy. "Brock, you have

red nails. For years, she had treated me like dirt, but she ne

immense power and influence. He was

k me to make the call. I' d done

e, I spoke f

a poor musician, remember? Not good eno

"How dare you! After everyt

my silence more powe

other toward the door. "Mom, th

her, Kendal turned to me. She tried to take

t her, Brock. You

a faint red mark on her neck, just below

ght?" she asked, her vo

?" I said, turn

change,

nowing sound. "Not you, Br

this time. "I' ve taken a leave of absence.

, grabbing my key

he called after me, a hint

ne in the monument to our failed relationship. She probably thought I

odern office across town, shaking hands wi

rous," I said, loo

named Peterson, replied. "Kendal Spears may have built

t without hesitation.

sistant, a friendly young woman,

her mind when she finds ou

d, and for the first tim

in my pocket. A

tant just posted a picture with

her

I' ve done for yo

ictable, so perfectly Kendal