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“It is,” I insist, my voice climbing. “I have to stay on top of it or it gets out of control. You have no idea how much dirt can accumulate if you’re not vigilant. You have to stay vigilant or everything falls apart!” Along with the heat crawling up my neck, my hands have started to shake and my heart is pounding. The room feels like it’s closing in around me. “I can’t let it fall apart. I have to keep it all together. Keep it…together.” I’m sweating now. Panting. Panicking. Cradling my hands in hers, Auntie Waldine looks into my eyes. “Sometimes the only way to keep yourself together is to let everything else fall apart. Now tell me what happened with Mason.” There’s a long, breathless moment when everyone stares at me and the only sound I hear are my rapid, shallow breaths. Pressure
- Writer
