uncontrollably；　“but　I　don’t　think　I’ll　be　able　to　make　it　to
  the　party　tomorrow。　You　understand　don’t　you？　I’m　sure　it’ll
  be　lovely；　so　please　do　enjoy　it。　That’s　all。”　And　before　she
  could　respond；　I　hitched　my　bag　higher　up　on　my　shoulder；
  ignored　the　pain　that　was　searing　from　heel　to　toe；　and
  strutted　outside　to　hail　a　cab。　I　couldn’t　remember　feeling
  better　than　that　particular　moment。　I　was　going　Home。
  18
  “Jill；　stop　shouting　for　your　sister！”　my　mother　screamed
  unhelpfully。　“I　think　she’s　still　sleeping。”　And　then；　a　voice
  came　even　louder　from　the　bottom　of　the　stairs。
  “Andy；　are　you　still　sleeping？”　she　screamed　in　the　general
  direction　of　my　room。
  I　pried　open　an　eye　and　checked　the　clock。　Quarter　after　eight
  in　the　morning。　Dear　god；　what　were　these　peoplethinking　？
  It　took　a　few　times　of　rocking　from　side　to　side　before　I
  could　muster　enough　strength　to　pull　myself　to　sit；　and　when　I
  finally　did；　my　whole　body　pleaded　for　more　sleep；　just　a
  little　more　sleep。
  “Morning；”　Lily　smiled；　her　face　ing　within　inches　of　my
  own　when　she　turned　to　face　me。　“They　sure　do　get　up　early
  around　here。”　Since　Jill　and　Kyle　and　the　baby　were　Home　for
  Thanksgiving；　Lily　had　been　forced　to　vacate　Jill’s　old　room
  and　move　onto　the　lower　half　of　my　childhood　trundle　bed；
  which　was　currently　pulled　out　and　nearly　level　with　my　own
  twin…size　bed。
  “What　are　you　plaining　about？　You　look　psyched　to　be　awake
  right　now；　and　I’m　not　sure　why。”　She　was　propped　up　on　one
  elbow；　reading　a　newspaper　and　sipping　a　cup　of　Coffee　she
  kept　picking　up　and　placing　down　on　the　floor　next　to　the　bed。
  “I’ve　been　up　forever　listening　to　Isaac　cry。”
  “He’s　been　crying？　Really？”
  “I　can’t　believe　you　didn’t　hear　him。　It’s　been　incessant
  since　about　six…thirty。　Cute　kid；　Andy；　but　that　whole
  early…morning　thing　has　got　to　go。”
  “Girls！”　my　mother　screamed　again。　“Is　anyone　awake　up　there？
  Anyone？　I　don’t　care　if　you’re　still　sleeping；　just　please
  tell　me　one　way　or　the　other　so　I　know　how　many　waffles　to
  defrost！”
  “Please　tell　her　one　way　or　the　other？　I’m　going　to　kill　her；
  Lil。”　And　then　toward　my　still　closed　door：　“We’re　still
  sleeping；　can’t　you　tell？　Fast　asleep；　probably　for　hours
  more。　We　don’t　hear　the　baby　or　you　screaming；　or　anything
  else！”　I　shouted　back；　collapsing　backward　on　the　bed。　Lily
  laughed。
  “Relax；”　she　said　in　a　very　un…Lily…like　way。　“They’re　just
  happy　you’re　Home；　and　I；　for　one；　am　happy　to　be　here。
  Besides；　it’s　only　a　couple　more　months；　and　we’ve　got　each
  other。　It’s　really　not　so　bad。”
  “A　couple　more　months？　It’s　only　been　one　so　far；　and　I’m
  ready　to　put　a　bullet　in　my　head。”　I　yanked　my　nightshirt　over
  my　head—one　of　Alex’s　old　workout　ones—and　put　on　a
  sweatshirt。　The　same　jeans　I’d　been　wearing　every　day　for　the
  past　few　weeks　lay　rumpled　in　a　ball　near　my　closet；　when　I
  pulled　them　over　my　hips；　I　noticed　that　were　feeling　snugger。
  Now　that　I　no　longer　had　to　resort　to　gulping　down　a　bowl　of
  soup　or　subsisting　on　cigarettes　and　Starbucks　alone；　my　body
  had　adjusted　itself　accordingly　and　gained　back　the　ten　pounds
  I’d　lost　while　working　atRunway　。　And　it　didn’t　even　make　me
  cringe；　Ibelieved　it　when　Lily　and　my　parents　told　me　I　looked
  healthy；　not　fat。
  Lily　slipped　on　a　pair　of　sweatpants　over　the　boxers　she’d
  slept　in　and　tied　a　bandana　over　her　frizzed…out　curls。　With
  her　hair　pulled　off　her　face；　the　angry　red　marks　where　her
  forehead　had　met　shards　of　the　windshield　were　more
  noticeable；　but　the　stitches　had　already　e　out　and　the
  doctor　promised　that　there’d　be　minimal；　if　any；　scarring。
  “e　on；”　she　said；　grabbing　the　crutches　that　were　propped
  against　the　wall　everywhere　she　went。　“They’re　all　leaving
  today；　so　maybe　we’ll　get　a　decent　night’s　sleep　tonight。”
  “She’s　not　going　to　stop　screaming　until　we　go　down　there；　is
  she？”　I　mumbled；　holding　her　elbow　to　help　her　to　her　feet。
  The　cast　around　her　right　ankle　had　been　signed　by　my　entire
  family；　and　Kyle　had　even　drawn　annoying　little　messages　from
  Isaac　all　over　it。
  “Not　a　chance。”
  My　sister　appeared　in　the　doorway；　cradling　the　baby；　who
  currently　had　drool　halfway　down　his　chubby　chin　but　was　now
  giggling　contentedly。　“Look　who　I　have；”　she　cooed　in　baby
  talk；　bouncing　the　happy　boy　up　and　down　in　her　arms。　“Isaac；
  tell　your　auntie　Andy　not　to　be　such　a　tremendous　bitch；　since
  we’re　all　leaving　real；　real　soon。　Can　you　do　that　for　mommy；
  honey？　Can　you？”
  Isaac　sneezed　a　very　cute　baby　sneeze　in　response；　and　Jill
  looked　as　though　he’d　just　risen　up　from　her　arms　a　full…grown
  man　and　recited　a　few　Shakespearean　sonnets。　“Did　you　see
  that；　Andy？　Did　youhear　that？　Oh；　my　little　guy　is　just　the
  cutest　thing　ever！”
  “Good　morning；”　I　said；　kissing　her　on　the　cheek。　“You　know　I
  don’t　want　you　to　leave；　right？　And　Isaac’s　wele　to　stay　as
  long　as　he　can　figure　out　how　to　sleep　between　the　hours　of
  midnight　and　tenA　。M。　Hell；　even　Kyle　can　stick　around　if　he
  promises　not　to　talk。　See？　We’re　easy　here。”
  Lily　had　managed　to　hobble　down　the　stairs　and　greet　my
  parents；　who　were　both　dressed　for　work　and　saying　their
  good…byes　to　Kyle。
  I　made　my　bed　and　tucked　Lily’s　back　underneath；　making　sure
  to　fluff　her　pillow　before　sticking　it　in　my　closet　for　the
  day。　She’d　e　out　of　the　a　before　I　even　got　off　the
  plane　from　Paris；　and　after　Alex　I　was　the　first　one　to　see
  her　awake。　They　ran　a　million　tests　on　every　conceivable　body
  part；　but　with　the　exception　of　some　stitches　on　her　face；
  neck；　and　chest；　and　the　broken　ankle；　she　was　perfectly
  healthy。　Looked　like　hell；　of　course—exactly　what　you’d　expect
  for　someone　who’d　danced　with　an　oning　vehicle—but　she　was
  moving　around　just　fine　and　even　seemed　almost　annoyingly
  upbeat　for　someone　who’d　just　lived　through　what　she　did。
  It　was　my　dad’s　idea　that　we　sublet　our　apartment　for　November
  and　December　and　move　in　with　them。　Although　the　idea　had　been
  less　than　appealing　to　me；　my　zero…sum　salary　left　me　with　few
  arguments。　And　besides；　Lily　seemed　to　wele　the　chance　to
  get　out　of　the　city　for　a　little　while　and　leave　behind　all
  the　questions　and　gossip　that　she’d　have　to　face　as　soon　as
  she　saw　anyone　she　knew　again。　We’d　listed　the　place
  oncraigslist　as　a　perfect　“holiday　rental”　to　enjoy　all
  the　sights　of　New　York；　and　to　both　our　shock　and　amazement；
  an　older　Swedish　couple　whose　children　were　all　living　in　the
  city　paid　our　full　asking　price—six　hundred　dollars　more　per
  month　than　we　ourselves　paid。　The　three　hundred　bucks　a　month
  was　more　than　enough　for　each　of　us　to　live　on；　especially
  considering　my　parents　ped　us　food；　laundry；　and　the　use　of
  a　beat…up　Camry。　The　Swedes　were　leaving　the　week　after　New
  Year’s；　just　in　time　for　Lily　to　start　her　semester　over　again
  and　for　me　to；　well；　do　something。
  Emily　had　been　the　one　who　officially　fired　me。　Not　that　I’d
  had　any　lingering　doubts　as　to　my　employment　status　after　my
  little　foul…mouthed　temper　tantrum；　but　I　suppose　Miranda　had
  been　livid　enough　to　drive　Home　one　last　dig。　The　whole　thing
  had　taken　only　three　or　four　minutes　and　had　unfolded　with　the
  ruthlessRunway　efficiency　that　I　loved　so　much。
  I’d　just　managed　to　hail　a　cab　and　pry　the　left　boot　from　my
  pulsating　foot　when　the　phone　rang。　Of　course　my　heart
  instinctively　lurched　forward；　but　when　I　remembered　that　I’d
  just　told　Miranda　what　she　could　do　with　herYou　remind　me　of
  myself　when　I　was　your　age；　I　realized　it　couldn’t　be　her。　I
  did　a　quick　tabulation　of　the　minutes　that　had　passed：　one　for
  Miranda　to　shut　her　gaping　mouth　and　recover　her　cool　for　all
  the　Clackers　who　were　watching；　another　for　her　to　locate　her
  Cell　Phone　and　call　Emily　at　Home；　a　third　to　convey　the
  sordid　details　of　my　unprecedented　outburst；　and　a　final　one
  for　Emily　to　reassure　Miranda　that　she　herself　would　“see　to
  it　that　everything　was　taken　care　of。”　Yes；　although　the
  caller　ID　simply　said　“unavailable”　on　international　phone
  calls；　there　wasn’t　a　doubt　in　the　world　who　was　ringing。
  “Hi；　Em；　how　are　you？”　I　practically　sang　while　rubbing　my
  bare　foot　and　trying　not　to　let　it　touch　the　filthy　taxi
  floor。
  She　seemed　to　be　caught　off…guard　by　my　downright　chipper
  tone。　“Andrea？”
  “Hey；　it’s　me；　I’m　right　here。　What’s　up？　I’m　kind　of　in　a
  hurry；　so　。　。