H-- slept over for the first time on Friday night. She showed up at nine, long after I had left my mother’s. I let H-- know about C-- and how Mom tried to reunite us. I thought it might be a bad idea, but I wanted to be honest. H-- took it in stride. “I’m not worried about your mother,” she told me. “She’ll change her mind after she meets me.”

     I loved the confidence.

     In the morning, H-- took me to her favorite bar for breakfast. She had spent the night raving about their breakfast sandwiches. She wasn’t kidding. The sandwiches were delicious and huge. Each sandwich was two full breakfasts packed between slices of Texas toast. I couldn’t finish mine, but H-- didn’t leave a crumb. I think...

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