Cassandra appeared next, all polished hair and flawless makeup. She gave me a quick side hug that felt like nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, Nana Bea,\u201d she said, her voice sweet but hollow. Her gaze flicked to my shoes, the ones I\u2019d shined that morning. \u201cOh, those are so retro, aren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Henry got them for me back when\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow charming!\u201d<\/p>\n
She was already turning away, waving at a friend across the room.<\/p>\n
I spent the brunch trying to fit into conversations that had no space for me. When I shared a story about Liam building a treehouse at 10, one of Cassandra\u2019s friends smirked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow sweet. He was always so crafty, wasn\u2019t he, Cassandra?\u201d<\/p>\n
They laughed like I\u2019d told a hilarious joke. I\u2019ve lived long enough to know when people are laughing at you, not with you.<\/p>\n
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