Why Sarah Ran Away with the Veterinarian (26 page)

“You'll be back?” I ask, hanging onto her words.

“For a visit,” she says.

I want to scream, “You can't leave! You can't!” But I fight for control, breathe deep, so deep that Sammy struggles in my tight arms. “What if things with Charlie don't work out?” I say, more rational than I feel.

“It's time I took a chance,” Aunt Kate says. She slips her arm around me. “You, of all people, should understand that.”

I nod. “But what will I do without you?” I'm crying now.

Aunt Kate takes Sammy. Looks into his round, smooth face. “Life keeps changing, Sarah. You can't slow it down and you can't back it up.”

I look into her eyes and I see happiness, like the girl in the portrait with Mama. I wipe my own eyes, kiss Aunt Kate's cheek, and slip Sammy from her arms. “How about giving us a lift home?” I say, “Jack will be waiting.”

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 1994 by Liz Newall

ISBN: 978-1-5040-3363-3

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