I sat just outside the sliding glass door smoking a Marlboro. I stole it from Uncle Ray's pack yesterday when he was helping Ma settle down. That's what everyone was calling it: settle down. Really, they were just giving her drugs. My uncle's anti-depressants. My aunt's sleeping pills. Leftover painkillers from when my gram was alive and had a root canal. The last few days were a steady stream of visitors and pills for Ma.

           Today would be the last of it.

            Maybe.

            Normally, I'd sneak a smoke around the side of the house where I could crouch next to the air conditioner and be mostly hidden. But Ma already settled down for...

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