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Chapters (67)
  1. Big Boned
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. One Month Later
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Copyright
  63. About the Publisher
  64. Backad 1
  65. Backad 2
  66. Backad 3
  67. Backad 4

“You have to melt Zac tonight, remember,” I said, breaking the tense silence. She looked at me blankly and I sighed. “On the Pilates ball. You have to roll him around, like the occupational therapist explained. It calms him before bed.”

Why did I remember these things and my mother didn’t?

“Sure, sure.” She flapped her hand in the air flippantly. “I know that.”

“He only likes to be melted on the blue ball, not the gray one.”

“I thought the blue one popped?” she asked.

“I ordered another one from Takealot.”

“Oh right! That’s right. I know that,” she said, sounding very far away again, and I wondered where she’d just gone. Maybe she went back to the same place inside herself over and over again. Maybe it was Dad and Maddy in the hot tub, like it was with me in the pool. Maybe that was the place she returned to? I looked at her, really looked at her. She seemed shorter tonight somehow, even though she was wearing heels, and I couldn’t help but feel just a little bit sorry for her.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” She reached up and touched her cheeks.

“No, Mom, you don’t.”

“Good. Good. I have a Zoom call with a potential client now. Investment banker. Totally loaded. Looking for a holiday home.” She fluffed her hair up and smiled at me. That Cheshire smile was back and so was Barbara Palmer and with it, my sympathy was gone again.

I shook my head. I didn’t know what to say to her. So I didn’t say anything. I walked out the door and closed it behind me.

As soon as I was alone in the car, I pulled my phone out and went to WhatsApp. I clicked on my dad’s profile and read the messages he’d sent me.

DAD: Please call me

DAD: Hey, I would really like to talk to you. I have something important to tell you

My heart sank. I went to Maddy’s Instagram profile and I couldn’t hold back the tears when I read her latest status update, complete with the photo of the glittery ring on her finger. I dropped my phone onto the passenger seat and drove without looking back at it.

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