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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samitha. I'm welcome to Stefan

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Speaker 1: Never Told You production of iHeartRadio and welcome to another

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Speaker 1: edition of Minty Fiction are ongoing monthly continuing. That's the

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Speaker 1: same ortis ongoing fiction. Portion of Terminus, the Deep Population Event,

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Speaker 1: something that I wrote when I was the first time

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Speaker 1: I did Nana Raimo in twenty ten. Haven't really edited it,

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Speaker 1: just want to share it and talk about it with

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Speaker 1: all of you. Christina, our super producer, makes this amazing,

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Speaker 1: adds in effects. If that's not your thing, If this

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Speaker 1: whole thing is not your thing, I totally understand, especially

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Speaker 1: right now, because it is intense. Which, speaking of that

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Speaker 1: brings us to our content. Warning. We have some child

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Speaker 1: endangerment in this chapter. A lot of discussion around infertility,

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Speaker 1: wanting to have a kid but not being able to

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Speaker 1: have a kid. Violence, kind of just ominous threat, so violent.

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Speaker 1: So I would say, insults around motherhood, internalize ableism, and

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Speaker 1: shame and fear around pregnancy. This is part two of

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Speaker 1: chapter eleven. As I said, so go check out that

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Speaker 1: part if you haven't already, probably check out the whole

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Speaker 1: thing if you haven't already, but especially you know that

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Speaker 1: you're going to be very confused. So to help with

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Speaker 1: any confusion, because this is just a monthly thing that

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Speaker 1: we do, here's a quick recap. So sometime in the future,

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Speaker 1: humanity is almost on the verge of extinction because of

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Speaker 1: a sex based disease that makes it very, very difficult

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Speaker 1: to have a child. There is a new government that

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Speaker 1: rows up and has taken control, called the State, and

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Speaker 1: they control alongside a religious group named arm and they

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Speaker 1: have taken all control over the things around conception. So

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Speaker 1: there are conception centers you have to go to all

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Speaker 1: kinds of things. If a child is born, they control

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Speaker 1: where it goes. Our main character, Tilda, has escaped with

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Speaker 1: her baby when he was only one years old and

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Speaker 1: they've been on the run for seven years. She is

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Speaker 1: a priority number one case but doesn't know why, and

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Speaker 1: that means she's being tracked by government enforcers, the winters

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Speaker 1: coming as they say the elements are against them. They

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Speaker 1: have had several run ins with enforcers, there have been injuries.

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Speaker 1: There have been allies, including a woman named Lynn, who

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Speaker 1: helped Tilda heel after she was shot by an enforcer

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Speaker 1: and also told her that there was rumors of a

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Speaker 1: resistance in Kansas City and that they might have a cure. However,

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Speaker 1: when Tilda and Madison found this resistance, they are not

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Speaker 1: what she thought they were. They don't have a cure,

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Speaker 1: but they do believe that there has been a vaccine

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Speaker 1: that the state has created but won't share with people.

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Speaker 1: So now the resistance wants Tilda to come with them

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Speaker 1: with Madison as some kind of leverage since they are

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Speaker 1: priority number one cases as they go to try to

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Speaker 1: get this vaccine, and they were just generally largely antagonistic

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Speaker 1: against her. Madison loves it there because he met other

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Speaker 1: children and got to play games, but she's having like

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Speaker 1: panic around being separated from him and about what to do,

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Speaker 1: what to do next. So that is where we are,

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Speaker 1: all right, let us get into the second part of

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Speaker 1: chapter eleven. Behind her, someone called Tilda's name, but she

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Speaker 1: ignored them as she ignored the looks of vilification and

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Speaker 1: deification directed at her. Tilda didn't understand either the hatred

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Speaker 1: or the admiration or the judgment. She only understood that

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Speaker 1: she had once again made a mistake and that she

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Speaker 1: needed to get to Madison. She ran into someone. Hard

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Speaker 1: hands grabbed her upper arms and She shoved the person away,

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Speaker 1: jogging further down the hall, almost frantic. Turning down the corridor,

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Speaker 1: she dashed into the playroom, stopping short at the sight

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Speaker 1: of Madison happily playing a board game with the other

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Speaker 1: three children. A man sat on the floor next to them,

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Speaker 1: engaging them in conversation, making them a giggle. Tilda Zulia

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Speaker 1: shouted from around the corner, and Madison's head shot up

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Speaker 1: at the sound of her name, Tilda, he exclaimed, gleefully,

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Speaker 1: leaping to his feet and bounding over to her, giving

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Speaker 1: her an enthusiastic hug. Tilda returned it automatically, carding her

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Speaker 1: hands through his hair. We're playing a game and Sophia

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Speaker 1: keeps cheating, he announced, cheerfully. Scandalized, Sophia denied, I am

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Speaker 1: not cheating. Madison flashed her a dazzling smile and tugged

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Speaker 1: at Tilda's arms, his way of communicating to her that

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Speaker 1: he wanted her to carry him. Tilda obliged, swing him

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Speaker 1: off his feet and into her arms as Zulika came

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Speaker 1: up behind them, Can I go to school? Mess and asked, excitedly,

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Speaker 1: I wanted to class with Sophia and Casey and Phoenix

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Speaker 1: Tilda couldn't help sliding her eyes over to Zulika, who

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Speaker 1: watched her with a wide, worried gaze. She spared Tilda

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Speaker 1: from answering how could she she was so tossed her

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Speaker 1: around and lost. If you don't mind, Amelia would like

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Speaker 1: to check the boats of you out, make sure everything's

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Speaker 1: all right. You're not deficient in any vitamins or minerals,

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Speaker 1: any underlying conditions. Things like that. I might even be

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Speaker 1: able to score you more milk. She winked at Madison.

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Speaker 1: His eyes looked up at that, and Tilda quiesced, falling

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Speaker 1: behind Zulika more to avoid Madison's face shining with happiness

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Speaker 1: and his questions, because she didn't know what else to do.

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Speaker 1: She was tired of making decisions, of being wrong, of

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Speaker 1: too little, too late. She'd been making the calls since

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Speaker 1: escaping with Madison years ago, and she wasn't sure a

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Speaker 1: single one of them had been the right one. Zulka

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Speaker 1: set them on the nearest bed in the infirmary. Tilda

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Speaker 1: couldn't help but glance behind her to ensure her pack

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Speaker 1: still slouched against the wall, Amelia appeared, placing a tray

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Speaker 1: of medical supplies on the bedside table, muttering something about

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Speaker 1: fetching them more food. Zulika left. Did she apologize on

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Speaker 1: behalf of Taylor yet, Amelia asked, brusquely, rummaging through a drawer.

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Speaker 1: Remembering the blonde's caustic remarks, Tilda cleared her throat. No, well,

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Speaker 1: allow me, Amelia snapped on some latex grubs. You're not

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Speaker 1: allergic to latex, either of you. Tilda shook her head.

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Speaker 1: Amelia nodded approvingly. Scoot down and sit next to your mother,

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Speaker 1: dear Madison obeyed, eyeing the medical supplies on the tray.

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Speaker 1: Warily Taylor, and for that matter, Mark and Adam can

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Speaker 1: be a bit. Tilda supplied several words in her mind,

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Speaker 1: and Amelia smiled, finishing difficult to get along with. Good

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Speaker 1: at their jobs, but not the best with people. She

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Speaker 1: rolled a stool over and sat in front of them. Anyway,

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Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I promise we're not all like that, Tilda

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Speaker 1: nodded numbly. Now, we don't have the best equipment, but

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Speaker 1: we make you. Let me see your hands. She took

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Speaker 1: hold of Tilda's hands and inspected them, pulling out a

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Speaker 1: tube of ointment and rubbing it into the blackened cuts

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Speaker 1: on her palms. That should heal up nicely or either

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Speaker 1: of you hurt anywhere else. Tilda looked to Madison, who

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Speaker 1: gazed at her basins, seechingly. Your leg, he reminded her.

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Speaker 1: It's fine. She dismissed, but Amelia inquired, what about your leg?

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Speaker 1: She was shot? Madison supplied solemnly until the side. Amelia

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Speaker 1: arched an eyebrow shot enforcers. Tilda answered, got hid in

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Speaker 1: the calf, but it's fine. Now, how long ago was this?

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Speaker 1: Amelia probed a week? Maybe pursing her lips, Amelia ordered,

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Speaker 1: let me see. Resigned, Tilda pulled up her pant leg.

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Speaker 1: The wound had almost completely faded. Someone patched you up.

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Speaker 1: Amelia's question was more of a statement yes. Tilda didn't

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Speaker 1: offer anything more, and Amelia dropped it not causing you

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Speaker 1: any pain. Another shake of Tilda's head, Well it should

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Speaker 1: be all right. She replaced the pant leg. Now, what

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Speaker 1: I would like to do is get a blood sample

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Speaker 1: from each of you and run some test. Make sure

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Speaker 1: everything is working like it should be. Frightened at the

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Speaker 1: prospect of a blood sample, though he had no idea

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Speaker 1: what it entailed, it didn't sound good. Madison whined, But

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Speaker 1: we're not sick. Amelia smiled indulgently at him, and this

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Speaker 1: will help make sure you stay that way. Though the

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Speaker 1: thought of someone having Madison's blood twisted her stomach in knots,

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Speaker 1: she didn't care about her own. It was dirty anyway

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Speaker 1: til it allowed it. Coaxing a whimpering Madison to keep still,

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Speaker 1: Zulika reappeared, a bag hanging from her arm and a

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Speaker 1: tray in her hands. Brought your clothes, Zulika informed them,

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Speaker 1: setting the tray down on a table, rolling it over

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Speaker 1: to them, and dropping the bag next to their bed. Now,

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Speaker 1: I couldn't get you any more milk today, but I

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Speaker 1: did get some fresh juice and a piece of chocolate.

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Speaker 1: Madison clapped his hands excitedly. I don't know about you,

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Speaker 1: but I like to save my dessert for last. The

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Speaker 1: child nodded at her, replacing the chocolate back on the

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Speaker 1: tray from where he had it poised in the front

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Speaker 1: of his mouth. Tilda ate mechanically, her mind running in circles.

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Speaker 1: Zuleika and Madison made small sock but she didn't pick

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Speaker 1: up on any of it. A crackling sound filled the air,

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Speaker 1: and the conversation stopped dead. The speakers whined with interference

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Speaker 1: flaring to life, and then Tilda heard a voice she

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Speaker 1: had thought she would never hear again. This is Leanna Nahan,

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Speaker 1: mother of Tilda. Tilda, wherever you are, please come home, baby,

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Speaker 1: All will be forgiven you. You and your child will

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Speaker 1: be safe. You can stay with us, with me and

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Speaker 1: your father will be be a family again. Her voice

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Speaker 1: wavered and wobbled as Leona tried to keep tears at bay,

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Speaker 1: her grief transparent. She sounds older. Tilda amused and then

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Speaker 1: almost laughed aloud hysterically at the ridiculousness of the observation.

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Speaker 1: You can't trust the people you meet out there. You

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Speaker 1: are not safe. They are liars, They want to use Madison.

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Speaker 1: Just come home. Please. We love you so much and

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Speaker 1: we're so so afraid for you. We've missed you so much.

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Speaker 1: You remembered the story I told you about how I

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Speaker 1: churched your name. Please, we'll wait for you. The static

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Speaker 1: cut off abruptly. The silence that followed seemed deafening. Tilda

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Speaker 1: could picture her mother, lips twitching in the battle for control,

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Speaker 1: thin shoulders hunched, black hair now streaked with gray. She

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Speaker 1: pictured her father hovered in the background, anxious arms crossed,

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Speaker 1: wiry glasses, sitting crooked on his nose. Over the years,

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Speaker 1: Tilda had wondered fleetingly if her parents missed her, if

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Speaker 1: they thought of her at all. After the discovery of

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Speaker 1: her pregnancy, Tilda had been whisked away before she got

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Speaker 1: a chance to explain, and hadn't seen her parents since

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Speaker 1: they hadn't been allowed visitations, Or at least that's what

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Speaker 1: Tilda told herself. They had never visited. Whatever the case,

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Speaker 1: the last memory she had of them was their faces,

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Speaker 1: a mixture of horror, disappointment, and devastation, her mother screaming.

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Speaker 1: As the enforcers took her daughter from her home. Tilda

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Speaker 1: became aware of movement, shouting, but above them all she

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Speaker 1: heard Madison's soft voice. Was that your mother? Taking a

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Speaker 1: deep breath? Tilda nodded. Mark skidded into the room, having

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Speaker 1: caught sight of Tilda as he jogged by. They know

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Speaker 1: you're here. Was that really your mother's voice? Tilda confirmed

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Speaker 1: it a second time. We need to leave now, he

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Speaker 1: bit out. Zuleikis did No, We're not ready. Ground team

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Speaker 1: is back. The longer we stay here with them, he

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Speaker 1: pointed to Madison and Tilda, the more time they have

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Speaker 1: to find us. It's them they want. We leave now,

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Speaker 1: and he left without giving Zuleika a chance to argue further.

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Speaker 1: She stared at the spot where he had been gawking,

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Speaker 1: before visibly collecting herself. Come on, put on your new clothes.

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Speaker 1: She pulled the curtain in front of the bed, giving

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Speaker 1: them some privacy. When neither Tilda nor Madison moved, Zuleika

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Speaker 1: urged them to hurry. Clumsily, Tilda exchange her old ratty

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Speaker 1: clothes for some dark lairs better fitting. The same is

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Speaker 1: true for Madison. After she finished lacing up her boots,

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Speaker 1: she helped me Adison with the rest of his clothes,

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Speaker 1: checking that they were done. Zulika snapped back the curtain,

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Speaker 1: glancing distractedly into the hallway. Tilda combed her fingers through

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Speaker 1: messy blonde hair and scooped Madison into her arms. What's happening,

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Speaker 1: Madison asked in a tiny voice. Tilda shifted him onto

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Speaker 1: her hip, determined not to be separated from him at

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Speaker 1: any cost. I think we're going on a little trip.

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Speaker 1: Zulika darted from the room, speaking hurriedly to someone outside.

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Speaker 1: Tilda slung her pack over her shoulder, fevered thoughts of

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Speaker 1: escape racing through her mind, even as she knew them

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Speaker 1: to be futile. For some reason, memories of her father

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Speaker 1: trying to explain immovable objects and unstoppable forces kept floating

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Speaker 1: to the surface, a bright orange buoy in a sea

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Speaker 1: of dull ashen panic. Adam strode into the room. Come on,

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Speaker 1: let's go. He gripped Tilda's upper arm and pulled her

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Speaker 1: into the hallway, leading her back into the open space

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Speaker 1: at the entrance. But we just got here, Madison complained.

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Speaker 1: Un Tilda almost chuckled. I know she had the sidestep

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Speaker 1: to avoid being knocked off her feet as people rushed

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Speaker 1: by her. She thought of reminding Adam that Madison was

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Speaker 1: a child, that he shouldn't go near any type of battle,

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Speaker 1: that he wasn't the bargaining chip. She feared they wanted

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Speaker 1: to use him as, but something told her it would

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Speaker 1: fall in deaf ears. The novelty of Madison, of his innocence,

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Speaker 1: his newness to this world, paled in comparison to the

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Speaker 1: unyielding hope pardoned adults held for a shiny new one.

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Speaker 1: What was it to them if Tilda never saw Madison again.

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Speaker 1: If it meant an opportunity for its second chance selfish,

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Speaker 1: So it may be, Tilda did not intend to let

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Speaker 1: that happen. Adam tugged her into a big, cargo like area,

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Speaker 1: a dimly lit, monochrome space buzzing with activity. There were

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Speaker 1: three large transport vehicles with long calves, sleek and black

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Speaker 1: people piled into them. Is set. Adam siled up to

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Speaker 1: Mark's side, and they started conversing, hurriedly, walking towards the

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Speaker 1: closest truck. How did it go again, Tilda wondered as

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Speaker 1: she hoisted her in Madison up into the vehicle, people

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Speaker 1: on either side of her, sliding onto one of the

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Speaker 1: two benches against opposing walls. What happens when an unstoppable

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Speaker 1: force meets an immovable object. There was yelling, and the

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Speaker 1: truck vibrated behind her back. Madison clung tighter to her neck.

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Speaker 1: The engine didn't rumble as Tilda expected, but ran silently

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Speaker 1: with a jerk. They started moving, easing up an incline.

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Speaker 1: Looks like your mother is working with the state, Adam's

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Speaker 1: voice issued from her left. Tilda didn't realize she denied

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Speaker 1: his claim aloud until Mark pressed her from the other side.

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Speaker 1: What makes you so sure? I what she said about

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Speaker 1: my name? It was a message. The enforcers were there,

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Speaker 1: or somebody was. Somebody was making her say that. What

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Speaker 1: message do you like to ask from in front of her? Curious?

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Speaker 1: Doesn't matter, Tilda said expressionlessly. You think they know about

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Speaker 1: the resistance where it is, and that I was there.

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Speaker 1: We don't know. Mark glared at Taylor when she snorted.

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Speaker 1: But we aren't taking the chance. We needed to move anyway.

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Speaker 1: What happens when we get there? Tilda stroked Medicine's hair absently,

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Speaker 1: doing her best not to fathom what the future may hold.

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Speaker 1: We get the vaccine, Mark told her blank, knowing pushing

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Speaker 1: would get her nowhere and that most likely she would

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Speaker 1: not like the answer she got. She did not ask

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Speaker 1: him for more details. Light streamed in through the windows,

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Speaker 1: a dusky light on the cusp of dark. The truck

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Speaker 1: emerged from a tunnel and onto a lower surface street,

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Speaker 1: cold air leaking in wherever it could. Tilda settled in

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Speaker 1: her seat, preparing for a long stint. I didn't get

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Speaker 1: to say goodbye. Madison whispered tearfully in her ear, and

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Speaker 1: she rubbed his back comfortingly. Maybe you'll see them again,

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Speaker 1: she murmured. She could sense he wanted to say more,

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Speaker 1: but his shyness prevented him from doing so. In front

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Speaker 1: of so many strangers, the conversation around her shifted from

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Speaker 1: roots to tactics, to theories and speculation about what a

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Speaker 1: vaccine would mean. Tilda mostly tuned them out, and with

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Speaker 1: the light, their voices faded away, an atmosphere of grim anticipation,

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Speaker 1: nerves and blood waiting buzzing with the upcoming battle. Moonlight

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Speaker 1: bathed the back of the elongated truck in silver light.

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Speaker 1: Tilda wasn't a good judge and had no landscape to

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Speaker 1: go by, but she suspected they were traveling pretty quickly.

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Speaker 1: In her arms, Madison breathed easily asleep. Having him in

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Speaker 1: her grasp gave her a feeling of security, grounded her.

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Speaker 1: She dozed. When Tilda was young, she used to ask

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Speaker 1: her mother about the day she was born. Her mother

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Speaker 1: dismissed her inquisitiveness with a comment about how she was

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Speaker 1: too young or something similar, but Tilda kept asking. After

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Speaker 1: a hard day at school, Tilda came home crying. Her

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Speaker 1: sobs would not be abated. Apparently endless in her grief. Today,

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Speaker 1: she had learned about pregnancy and all the horror and

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Speaker 1: shame and guilt with which it was synonymous. She felt guilty,

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Speaker 1: guilty for being born, guilty for continuing to be alive,

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Speaker 1: for not appreciating everything her father, her mother had been through,

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Speaker 1: jest for her to be born, and so ashamed, ashamed

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Speaker 1: of being someone who could get pregnant when she didn't

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Speaker 1: understand the power and awesome responsibility, Ashamed that the possibility

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Speaker 1: of becoming pregnant and not becoming pregnant, and terrified of

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Speaker 1: either outcome. Her mother had found her curled up on

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Speaker 1: her bed, consumed with tears. She sat on the edge

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Speaker 1: of the bed, and Tilda hid from her from her

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Speaker 1: gentle face, parked and cratered with sores. A hand caressed

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Speaker 1: Tilda's hair, and she swallowed back her grief, determined not

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Speaker 1: to be a burden ever again. Do you know why

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Speaker 1: I named U Tilda? The soft question from her mother,

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Speaker 1: called Tilda by surprise, and she stilled. Her grief lulled

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Speaker 1: as curiosity breached it. She shook her head into the bedspread.

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Speaker 1: Her mother scooted closer. When I first found out I

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Speaker 1: was pregnant, I was so happy ecstatic. Really, Leona's voice

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Speaker 1: carried the weight of memories. Tilda perked her ears immediately.

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Speaker 1: Your father and I felt out all the forms petitioning

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Speaker 1: for parenthood, but we had stiff competition here. There was

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Speaker 1: a pause. Untilda turned, flipping to her other side so

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Speaker 1: she could look into her mother's eyes. I couldn't bear

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Speaker 1: the thought of not how you after nine months of

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Speaker 1: carrying you inside me, after years of worrying I never

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Speaker 1: have a child, the thought of not having you, if

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Speaker 1: not watching me grow. She trailed off far away. I

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Speaker 1: fought harder than I've ever fought in my life. Tilda

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Speaker 1: blinked up at her, tears dripping into her hair. Her

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Speaker 1: mom smiled tenderly at her and rubbed her arm comfortingly.

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Speaker 1: You gave me strength, strength I never knew I had.

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Speaker 1: You gave me courage. You made me whole, the best

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Speaker 1: of what I could be. When I was in labor,

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Speaker 1: there were health complications. It was taking too long. The

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Speaker 1: doctors were afraid that by the time they got you out,

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Speaker 1: you'd be dead. But I've thought, I thought of how

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Speaker 1: beautiful you'd be, how wonderful it would be to hold

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Speaker 1: you in my arms, to look down on you and

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Speaker 1: share my life with you, and I fought. Leona stroked

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Speaker 1: her daughter's hair, studying every bit of Tilda's face and

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Speaker 1: committing it to memory. You were born a healthy little girl,

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Speaker 1: and the bored of responsible parenting granted me and your

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Speaker 1: dad guardianship of you because they saw how hard I

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Speaker 1: fought for you, how my own health was inconsequential to

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Speaker 1: your own, how much your father and I loved you.

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Speaker 1: Tilda stared at her mother, awed and small in the

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Speaker 1: shadow of her love. Leona reached down and wiped a

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Speaker 1: tear away with a callous thumb. When the time came

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Speaker 1: for a name, I wanted something that would remind me

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Speaker 1: of how hard I fought for you, She paused, brushing

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Speaker 1: an errant strand of hair out of Tilda's eyes. Do

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Speaker 1: you know what tilda means? Tilda shook her head, grief,

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Speaker 1: engulfed by the sheer magnitude of her mother's tender adoration

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Speaker 1: of her. I learned it from a fairy tale. Its

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Speaker 1: root is the German word hilled. Leona leaned down and

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Speaker 1: place a kiss on her temple, whispering in her ear.

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Speaker 1: It means battle, and that brings us to the end

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Speaker 1: of part two of chapter eleven. We hope that you

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Speaker 1: enjoyed it. I was very excited about this two part chapter,

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Speaker 1: so it is. It's a turning point, a lot, a

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Speaker 1: lot happened, a lot was discovered, a lot of plot,

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Speaker 1: and then at the end you get to really see

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00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,080
Speaker 1: me lean into my love of the meaning of names,

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Speaker 1: the whole interlude of why Tilda was named Tilda. There

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Speaker 1: are a couple of interludes throughout the story that I

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Speaker 1: just really had fun to do, and they're sort of

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Speaker 1: snippets of the past. So I hope that you enjoyed

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Speaker 1: that as well. And I'm not the only one, but yeah,

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Speaker 1: we're getting into some action now, so be sure to

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Speaker 1: check in back next month for what happens when they

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Speaker 1: for when they make it to this lab. In the meantime,

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Speaker 1: let us know your thoughts, your theories. You can email

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Speaker 1: us at stuff vidia mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com.

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00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,240
Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, a momster podcast, or

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00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:33,920
Speaker 1: on Instagram and TikTok as Stuffone Never Told You. You

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Speaker 1: can also find us on the public and we have

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Speaker 1: a book that you can pre order at stuff. You

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Speaker 1: should read books dot com, either as an audiobook or

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Speaker 1: physical book. Thanks as always too, our super producer Christina,

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Speaker 1: our executive producer Maya, and our contributor Joey. Thank you

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Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening stuff I never told

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Speaker 1: you the direction of my Heart Radio. For more podcast

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Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, you can check out the I

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Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or where you listen to

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Speaker 1: your favorite shows,