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“You know,” Sam said conversationally. “I like her.”
Shawn nodded. “Yeah.” He knew where this was headed, and preferred not to engage. It was Saturday afternoon, and he was driving Sam out to one of the malls, where he was going to undergo the grueling annual ritual of Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping. Sam refused to participate in any Black Friday mania, but he did prefer to get his purchasing over with before the holiday season hit in full force. This was a family tradition dating back decades. Shawn’s mother had always decorated the interior and exterior of the house throughout the month of December, and getting the shopping out of the way early made it easier for her to indulge in what she regarded as the truly fun part of Christmas.
When his dad had come downstairs and said
