Fallout (Crank 3)

be the same again. Nothing, in

fact, will ever be the same.

No more Saturday-morning

pancakes or Sundays filled

with too many football games.

No more late-night black-and-

white movies or yoga exercises.

No more easy laughter. Aunt

Cora is Liam’s. And not mine.

SHE DENIES THAT TOTALLY

Whatever the future holds,

I will always be here for you.

I made that commitment a very

long time ago, she claimed.

We were shopping for her wedding

gown. Waiting for the sales-

lady to bring out another dress

to view. Size six. Off the shoulder.

I could have picked out the dress

she eventually chose without her

even being there. I know her. Too

well. Will I know her next year?

Nothing will really change

that much, she promised. Except

I’ll be living with Liam, and

I’m kind of doing that now.

True. Other than wedding stuff,

I hardly see her at all. Which gives

me much too much time alone,

thinking about my own future.