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He held her eyes with his own a long moment and touched the top of her hand-Meet me later Please

He ended up living in the house with her and Amy She couldn't say if she had invited him to do this or if it had just somehow happened Either way, she was instantly sorry This Bill Reynolds: as he really? He'd left his wife and boys, Bobby and Billy in their baseball suits, all of it behind in Nebraska The Pontiac was gone, and he had no job either; that had ended, too The econoodda He said he had a plan, but the only plan that she could see see for A up the breakfast dishes, while she worked all day at the Box He hit her the first ti there threeand said, over and over, how sorry he was He was on his knees, blubbering, like she'd done so, how hard it all was, all the changes in his life, it was more than alike that would happen again, ever He swore it Not to her and not to A she was sorry too

He'd hit her over hoil ain

-Goddamnit, woman Can't you see I'm in a situation here?

She was on the kitchen floor, holding the side of her head He'd hit her hard enough to lift her off her feet Funny, now that she was down there she sa dirty the floor was, filthy and stained, with cluainst the base of the cabinets where you couldn't usually see Half herthis while the other half said, You aren't thinking straight, Jeanette; Bill hit you and knocked a wire loose, so now you're worrying over the dust So with the way the world sounded, too A television upstairs, on the little set in her roo inside her head, Barney the purple dinosaur and a song about brushing your teeth; and then fro away, its engine grinding as it turned out of the drive and headed down the county road

-It ain't your house, she said

-You're right about that Bill took a bottle of Old Crow froh it was only ten o'clock in the s like he et comfortable Ain't my oil, either

Jeanette rolled over and tried to stand but couldn't She watched him drink for a minute

-Get out

He laughed, shaking his head, and took a sip of whiskey

-That's funny, he said You telling me that from the floor like you are

-I mean what I say Get out

A the stuffed bunny she still carried everywhere, and wearing a pair of overalls, the good ones Jeanette had bought her at the outlet mall, the OshKosh B'Gosh, with the strawberries embroidered on the bib One of the straps had co at her waist Jeanette realized Ao to the bathroom

-You're on the floor, Mama

-I'ot to her feet to show her Her left ear was ringing a little, like in a cartoon, birds flying around her head She saw there was a little blood, too, on her hand; she didn't knohere this had come from She picked Amy up and did her best to so, honey? You need to use the potty?

-Look at you, Bill was saying Will you look at yourself? He shook his head again and drank You stupid twat She probably ain't even mine

-Mairl said and pointed, you cut yourself Your nose is cut

And whether it hat she'd heard or the blood, the little girl began to cry

-See what you done? Bill said, and to Aue, that's just how it is

-I'ain, just leave

-Then ould you do, tell me that You can't even fill the oil tank

-You think I don't know that? I sure as by God don't need you to tell me that

A her, Jeanette felt the spread of hot irl released her bladder

-For Pete's sake, shut that kid up