Chapter 4Hidden in the Garden of Ego
Planted beneath the vines
Are all the deepest darkest secrets
That prey upon the mind
You stroll the garden pathways
Basking in the sun
But underneath the rocks they lie
To taunt you, each and every one
—Milo Stamis, “Secrets,” Words Without Music
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The band scheduled a one-night gig for Liam’s eighteenth birthday at Carnegie Hall. The venue was an indication of how far they’d come in the last three years. Sam found a condo near Columbia. He’d completed law school and studied for the bar in three states. He didn’t want to wait for reciprocity. He intended to take the exams for California, New Jersey, and New York within a few months’ time so he could open his agency and properly represent the band.
Sam didn’t believe Hedge was as young
