“I know who I am; everyone wants to try to tell me who I am.” Before Frankie could say another word, the man picked up a photograph that was peeking from the bottom of a dresser. The photo then floated from his hands to Frankie’s. Frankie wanted to mouth off but when she saw what it was, she couldn’t. In her hands was a picture of her family, and like most of her family’s pictures, they were around a table. It could have been Easter or just any random Sunday, everyone was dressed their best and grinning from ear to ear; some people still faced each other, engaged in some type of passionate story. Frankie examined the photo with a grin; she loved old - er pictures of her family: they always captured such happiness. As her eyes danced around the faces in the photo, she stopped sharply on one, Grandpa Sal. Instantly her eyes welled up in tears; she opened her drawer, threw the picture in, and slammed it shut. “What do you want from me?! Frankie exclaimed. “For you to feel that, ” he replied. She knew. When Grandpa Sal died, Frankie didn’t cry, she wouldn’t allow herself to. She had so much going on with school and life that if she allowed herself to feel it, she might never be the same person again. Grandpa Sal was Frankie’s dad’s father, the source of many of his stories. Before she was able to get too deep into thought, Frankie again snapped herself out of it. “I grieved his death. Maybe to other people I didn’t, but I did it in my own way and on my own time,” Frankie’s eyes started to get glossy; she could feel the weight of the tears on her bottom lid. She almost let them fall. Without hesi - tation, Frankie cracked the door and slipped out of the room quickly. “I’m getting a drink,” Frankie called up the stairs, “Do you want one?” “Francesca, there is something-” Before he could finish his sentence Frankie cut him off; she tended to do that to people when she was nervous. Frankie was looking through cupboards. The sound of metal and tin rang through the room as Frankie tried to hide the quick sniffs in and wipes to her cheeks. “I know what you’re going to say. I need to get my spirit back and remember
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