“Her reputation,” she said. “Swear it was too dark.” There it was. Not only the horror of what we’d seen, but what it’d cost Maureen if others found out. I heard Father Adolph like he was standing over us, smiling sadly that he even needed to say it: A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. I squeezed Brenda’s hand, then coughed, my throat tender from throwing up. “I swear.” The memory returned, Brenda, Maureen, and me at the Muni, three Musketeers against the world. That would never be again. In that handshake, a piece of Brenda closed off to me and me to her, and we both
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