Page 16 (1/2)

Cora unpacked plastic-wrapped blankets frohter to transfer to it with the newborn

As it turned out, the storainst the shelter door, and they would have to wait nine hours for rescuers to locate and extract therandmother," Brian said, "dressed the mattress hat little she had, but with asprepared for an i the covers around my mother and me-the infant me-it was a perfect little nest, so neat, so tidy, so cozy She smoothed the wrinkles out of the blanket, s down at my mother…"

The scene still lived in his memory as no scene from a dream had ever before endured

Amy said, "And then?"

"Oh Yeah Suddenly I’m not an observer of the drearand, so full of love, soelse in theI saas Grand The bed is like you see it now Perfectlyon top of the covers, and the bed is neat enough to pass a military inspection"

He expected aht, see, when you hauledfrouy, I left the bed a mess And when I crashed for a nap this afternoon, it was still aover the footboard, sheets tangled, a pillow on the floor But I wake up, and the bed’s been randhtened up this one after getting my mother and baby-me settled"

"‘Baby-"

"Do you ever sleepwalk?"

"No Why?"

"Maybe you made the bed in your sleep"

"I didn’t I couldn’t That’s irandmother came out of a dream and made it for you"

Eye to eye with her, he chewed for alike this?"

"I’ practical, prudent, levelheaded, smart, sober, and rational"

He took a deep breath He blew it out "What if, okay, what if I believe Antoine the blind dog can drive?"

"The dog isn’t blind"

Brian put his hands on her shoulders again "It’s not just the bed, Aht and so detailed, like real life, and being shown the night I was born It’s the way those drawings flowed through me, just poured out of the pencil And the hallucinations-that sound, those shadows-except they were not hallucinations A here"

She put one hand to his face, feeling his beard stubble "Have you eaten anything today?"

"No I drank a Red Bull I’ to eat?"

"I’er, Amy If you could have seen Grandma’s eyes, that wink"

"I’ll make pasta You have a jar of that terrific pesto sauce?"

Brian leaned closer to her and narrowed his eyes He could tell that she wanted to look away fro’s happened to you, too," he said "You do have a story of your own I thought so earlier What’s happened?"

"Nothing"

"So?"

"It’s just the way Nickie is"

"What way is she?"

"Watchful Wise Mysterious I don’t know Actually, it’s not even new So and you think, This is an old soul"

"Co Really Just a bedroo the cameo locket at her throat When she saw him take note of it, she lowered her hand

"Bedroo It couldn’t be anything"

"Now I a toward the hall, she said, "Where are the kids?"

As she started to turn away fro up on top of a freshly "

"What-did Grandh his heart were co lower by theto be hard I’ to think how to tell you It’s a wonderful thing and a terrible thing"

A change in her eyes, the steadiness and clarity of her stare, suggested that she knew he needed her as never before and that she was ready

He kissed her forehead, and with his lips still against her brow, he said, "I love you"

Head bowed, not looking up, as if the words were as soleotten this far o, but no further He had assuly overdue, would be consummation, the physical commitment

No one before her had ever held him in expectation with such exquisite charm

Now he realized that consummation had never been the next step, could not have been, should not have been The next step must be revelation