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Natalie laughed "Well, I didn't realize it when I made the reservation I chose it because it seemed to be fairly near to where you lived But as soon as I saw it, I kneasn't your local sh money"

"You have a sense of hu we h this"

"Julie?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for calling I was so scared"

"I still a you Whoops I just thought of so"

"What?"

"Hoill I know you?"

Natalie was silent for a moment Then she said, "Julie, I don't quite kno to tell you this, but--"

"But what?"

"I think I look just like you"

29

WHEN JULIE HUTCHINSON entered the Russian Tea Room, it was as if the curtain had been lifted and the actress was on stage, poised, acknowledging the hush that preceded the applause Conversations stopped Forks were lowered slowly to plates Julie stood for a , at the front of the restaurant, aware of the sudden pause, the brief silence, and then the ripple of murmurs that moved from table to table

Natalie watched her, froot for a moment that Julie was her mother

Julie was incredibly beautiful She was tall, like Natalie, and very thin; her dark hair was in a stark chignon; her eyes, pale blue, were heavily adorned with mascara and eye shadow, and her eyebroere plucked into narrow curved arches and darkened to black She had very little visibleher, knew that her cheekbones could not be so pronounced, her lips so artfully pink, without hours in front of a raceful at her waist, as she looked around the tables When she saw Natalie, she smiled and waved

As she s to countless people who called "Julie!"; she waved toward the back at a tall man who blew her a kiss; and touched the shoulder of another as she passed

This isn't the right place to be, thought Natalie suddenly, for thisher hand

They looked at each other "You do," said Julie finally "You look exactly as I did when I was your age Looking at you is like having a mirror into the past"

Natalie had dressed carefully for the lunch She had taken a long shower at the hotel, washed her hair, and co a yellow silk dress and siven her for graduation Now, beside Julie, she felt dowdy, unkery at Julie, who made her feel that way

Julie ordered for them both The waiter called her Mrs Hutchinson, with his heavy Slavic accent, and she told his to a shaggy-haired roup at a nearby table

"Now," she said, turning to Natalie "We must talk and talk There is so much to catch up on, isn't there? First I want to kno you found me"

It was hard to remember, suddenly Natalie told her slowly about the trip to Simmons' Mills About Anna Talbot The librarian Foster Goodas dead

Julie made a face "I hated Foster Goodwin," she said "In fact, I hated that town and al about it My house--did you see my house?"

"Yes I drove up Falls Road The woo up the driveway and see the front I didn't go inside"

Julie frowned "When I moved to Simmons' Mills, I loved that house It was so sort of Gothic,there after all, even though I'd hated leaving Detroit But then as it turned out, the house setup on the hill I never, in the tih school--really felt part of the town It was my fault as much as the town's, of course"

Lunch had come Julie picked up her fork and touched the food on her plate absently "So Foster Goodwin's dead I remember the day he came to the hospital, with those papers If I could have killed hiht then, I would have But of course he was only doing what he had to do He was right, of course Doc Therrian had toldDid you see him? Now there was a one, too"

"I was getting to that It was Dr Therrian who told me who you were, Julie He's very sick I went to the hospital to see hiht I was you"

"I'm not surprised He and I were very close, and you look so much as I did, then"

Natalie told her of the phone calls that had led, finally, to Margaret Jeffries in Detroit Julie srandchildren Did she tell you I have two little boys?"