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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

His eyes opened again, slowly, and drifted over to me. “What about your case?” he said, his voice hoarse and slow.

“It’s a mess. Someone else looks guilty now, and whether they did it or not, whether they colluded or not, I’ll probably have to drop the charges against the kid I thought it was. I’m going to hand it to Gates and quit.” I looked out the window and could see the sun speckling the bark of a tree through the leaves. “I shouldn’t have come back here. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m going back to Miami. It’s where I belong.”

He swallowed. “Do you know the myth of Sisyphus?”

“What?”

“Sisyphus. The Greek tragedy.”

“I’ve heard it, once or twice.”

He swallowed and had to take a breath. “My father told it to me once. He said Sisyphus died but came back to earth for revenge. He was supposed to return to hell but realized, only after he was already dead, how beautiful the trees were, or wading into a cool stream, or the birds and the sunlight on his face. So he refused to return, and the gods punished him. For eternity, he would have to push a rock up a hill, and it would keep tumblin’ back down. He would never be able to get to his goal.”

He had to swallow again, and I got some more water for him. He took a few sips.

“I thought Sisyphus must be miserable, but my father said no, he was happy because he decided to be. He decided that the one thing the gods couldn’t take from him was his choice to be happy. It’s like that for us. We try to find happiness out there, and we just end up suffering for it.” He took my hand. His skin was clammy and his fingers trembled. “You have to choose your own happiness, Tatum. I had the chance with your mother, but I went outside our marriage and looked for happiness there, and you know what I found? Nothing. Nothing is ever as good as you think it’s gonna be, and nothing is ever as bad as you think it’s gonna be. Don’t make the mistake I made.”

“Excuse me,” the doctor said from the doorway. “We’re ready.”

I nodded and stood up. I bent down and kissed Adam’s forehead. He squeezed my hand the best he could, and I left while they prepped him for surgery.

76

76

I was in the waiting room sipping a Diet Coke and popping ibuprofen when Gates came in. She was in sweats and sat down next to me. She took my soda and pulled a long drink before giving it back.

“Don’t you have some voter thing?” I said.

“Town hall. I cancelled it.”

“You can’t do that. The election’s next month.”

“Elections aren’t everything.”