Page 336 of Sins of the Heart

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He tried for other names, other thoughts, and only

one came to him.

It was a memory. The sound of laughter. It was

beautiful. Musical.

Suddenly the darkness receded and he was bathed

in light, bright hot sun and the smell of summer. The

laughter came from all around him, varying tones and

timbres. And then a high-pitched shriek of sheer joy,

followed by more laughter.

He felt the sun on his face, the breeze in his hair,

heard a whoosh of sound.

“Push me, Daddy. Push me higher.”

He felt metal beneath his fingertips, and he looked

down to see chains, looked up to see a metal pole held

aloft by other metal poles set at angles.

The chain fed down, down—

Don’t look.

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But he did. And there she was. Blond hair. Eyes like

washed denim, like his own. Wide smile with a little

girl’s pretty white teeth.

She looked at him.

She lookedlikehim.

His chest hurt to look at her. Unbearable pain.

“Push me higher, Daddy. Higher.”

He did. He pushed. He could feel the tension in his

muscles, the flex and release.

Slowly, he lifted his head and glanced to his left.

There was a woman standing there. He felt affection

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