parking lot wa
and turned off the engine. He didn't move to get out. He
said. "Get ou
er. It was just a flat statement of fact, lik
n was trying to break through the clouds, but it offered no warmth. Sh
over her. They walked up the concrete steps and through the hea
hey walked down a long, quiet hallway and pushed throu
lasses sat behind the counter. She looked up as t
ense," Graham said, placing his
ced up at Graham, her expression neutral, before looking ba
n the back of her mind, a tiny puzzle piece
ty numbers," the woman
ID. The woman typed for a few more minutes, then
s out. Bo
ttled. She tried to write her name, but the letters came out as a jagge
. She couldn't eve
d around her trembling hand, steadying it. His pa
imie Stuart" in a clear, legible script. It felt like he was
e pen, and signed his own name
oman said, stamping the paper. "You need a
," Graham said. "We'll u
wooden podium and a few rows of chairs. A bored-looking
man opened the binder and began reading fro
ake Jaimie Stuart to be y
lear, strong, and witho
Jaimie Stuart, take Graham Lawson t
She saw Gerry's sneering face. She saw her father's dis
anding right behind her, his breath w
ween her ribs and piercing her heart
id, the word
e paper, and handed it to
e didn't even look at it. He simply folded it into a neat square and
han thirty minutes, sh
ight, stinging her eyes. She felt like she was w
aid as they got back into the car. "I'll dr
n't loo
. I'll take
ve her to the apartment, pulled up
nd her, went straight to her bedroom, and collapsed onto the bed. She pulled the covers over h
he pulled it out fr
om Graham. No wo
cate. Her signature next to his. A perma
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