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Show Inside Out, 178 I managed to keep the tears mostly back-or at least hidden-until I got home. I planned to run up to my room where I could cry in privacy but Mom was playing the piano ("The Impossible Dream"-the only song she knew) and turned when I walked in. I guess my face told her something was really wrong, because she cried, "Andli! What is it?" and followed me up to my room. She held me while I sobbed for probably twenty minutes before I could even talk. And then she just listened. Here are some things she didn't say: "You're too young to have a boyfriend anyway." "Your face will clear up soon and the boys will notice you then." "He's not worth it if he treats people this way." "What a jerk." In fact, she didn't say anything. She just held me. And then she left and made me a warm French dip sandwich that she brought up on a tray. She never did say any of those things to me. She held my secret sacred. I don't know if she even told Dad. I missed her so much. Did she miss me too? It was such a lonely, stretchy ache, the feeling of missing her. I couldn't let anything keep me from talking to her. So I had to make things better with Terra. And, really, I was starting to miss Terra. |