she slammed the door andwas gone.I looked at the closed doorand at the doorknoband strangelyI didn't feelalone.

Just because something isn__ good doesn__ mean it__ bad.

He was everything I__ ever wanted, and everything I hadn__ even known I needed.

I assigned him to help me trim the Brussels sprouts, but instead he kept trying to throw them away when he thought I wasn__ looking. __russels sprouts, Grace, really? These are our friends. Why are you doing this to them?

Hey, if you're going to say what I think you're going to say_wait, are you going to say it?_ he asked, smiling down at me.__es, yes I think so._ I grinned shyly back.__ell, then I think we should say it at the same time, yes?_ he suggested.__ount of three?_ I asked. He nodded.__ne_ I started.__wo_ he said, eyes twinkling.__hree,_ we said together. We both paused, smiling hugely, and then I took a deep breath.__ack, I love you.___ know,_ he said at the same time.Ass__ss!_ I said, smacking him on the arm.__hat was great!_ he laughed.

Long after the other voices had dropped away, Sam kept howling, very soft and slow.When he finally fell silent, the night felt dead. Sitting was intolerable. I stood up, paced, clenched and unclenched my hands into fists. Finally I took the guitar that Sam had played and I screamed and smashed it into pieces on Dad's desk.