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Show Moon -184 THE REAL FATHER To go back to Evanston was not easy for Anne. Here, she had been born. She'd just refused Alice's invitation to be born again. Well, the opportunity, if that's what it was, had gone, and she was stuck with her original, imperfect self, which perhaps had something to do with original sin. Her mother and Esther had moved to San Francisco. The only people left in Evanston were Michael and Gloria, their son Tommy when he wasn't off somewhere in the Army, and perhaps still David. Michael met her at the gate in O'Hare. There was a faint yellowness around his eyes. His limp from the old Army injury was more pronounced, and he spoke as if he were underwater and had to rise to the surface between each word. She felt a pang of worry for him and wished that she could love him in an uncomplicated way as simply her brother. "Aren't you going to tell me how terrible I look?" she said, self conscious of her wispy hair and uncoordinated body. "Everyone else has." "You look like an ethereal angel." He picked up her bag and led her down the long terminal corridor. They walked slowly, leaning on each other. "So you've been to see our sister Alice." She nodded, saying nothing, and he understood, for he said, "Alice judges people. Don't let her get you down." |