By afternoon, I was exhausted and uncomfortable, counting down the hours until I could go home and collapse on my couch.<\/p>\n
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Then my phone rang. It was my sister,\u00a0Brenda<\/span><\/strong>, and her voice carried that particular edge that always meant trouble. \u201cFamily meeting at Mom and Dad\u2019s house. 6:00 PM. Be there.\u201d She hung up before I could ask questions.<\/span><\/p>\n
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I should have known something was wrong. Brenda only used that tone when she was orchestrating something, and family meetings were never called unless there was a crisis. But I was too tired and in too much pain to read the warning signs properly. I just wanted to get whatever this was over with so I could go home.<\/p>\n
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