​     Gramps landed his van in front of the apartment complex where Brian lived with his family. Brian didn't even say good bye. He just got out of the van as quick as he could and ran for home.

     "So much for that boyfriend," Cathy said.

​     "Shut up!" Alison snapped. "I like Brian!"

​     "I do too, but..."

​     "I said shut up!" Alison took a tissue from her purse to dab at her eyes.

​     And then it hit them, all three of Abby's children, all at once, what it was that Alison was so upset about. They'd just lost their home and everything they owned. They were never returning to their school or their friends. They didn't know where they were going to be sleeping that night. They didn't even know what their next meal was going to be or where they were going to have it. Skip already felt a little hungry. He'd meant to grab a snack from the kitchen before the shitstorm hit, and now...no kitchen. No snacks.

​     Cathy and Alison hugged. Skip didn't know how to react at first. These were his sisters, after all, and you just don't hug your...but they pulled on him to bring him into their embrace.

     Cathy cried a little.

​     Alison cried a lot.  

     Skip didn't cry at all.

​     But they held tight to each other as they felt their world and everything they knew until that moment slip away from them forevermore.

​                                               CONTINUE

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