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“Seriously”

“Why would you say that?”

“It’s just that when I was standing there behind him, I felt so sad I don’t knohy”

Mom’s ar, steady beating of her heart

“Maybe the reason I’ to die,” I whisper

Her arhten

“It’s rare,” she says quietly

“But it does happen”

“We’ll figure it out together” She hugs me closer and smoothes the hair away frohtht now you should rest”

I’ve never felt more awake in my life, but I stretch out on her bed and let her pull the covers over us She puts her ar heat like she’s been standing in sunshine, even in the ht I inhale her smell: rosewater and vanilla, an old lady’s perfume It always makes me feel safe

When I closeFor me Which see so for me

I wake to the sound of rain and a soft gray light seeping through the blinds I find Mos into a serving bowl, already dressed and ready for work like any other day, her long, auburn hair still wet fro to herself She seems happy

“Morning,” I announce

She turns, puts down the spatula, and crosses the linoleu Her s bee in third grade: proud, but like she never expected anything less

“How are you doing thisin there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine”

“What’s going on?” my brother, Jeffrey, says from the doorway

We turn to look at hiainst the doorjaru person He stares at us A flicker of fear crosses his face, like he’s bracing for horrible news, like someone we know has died

“Your sister has received her purpose” Moain, but it’s less jubilant than before A cautious smile

He looks me up and down like he’ll be able to find evidence of the divine somewhere on my body “You had a vision?”

“Yeah About a forest fire” I shut ain: the hillside croith pine trees, the orange sky, the s past “And a boy”

“How do you knoasn’t just a dream?”