Page 20 (1/1)

It’s only in the finer points that it gets complicated and contentious, the inability to realize that no round, we all have about 98 percent in common with each other Yes, the differences between y as a s that are different Race is different purely as a social construction, not as an inherent difference And religion--whether you believe in God or Yahweh or Allah or sos For whatever reason, we like to focus on the 2 percent that’s different, and most of the conflict in the world coh my life is because of the 98 percent that every life has in coh the rituals of a Sunday er’s mother, who is so tired, so taxed I feel as much belief in her as I do in God--I find faith in hue after challenge our way This s I saw in Rhiannon, too--her desire to persevere

After church, we head to Roger’s grandmother’s house for Sunday dinner There’s no computer, and even if it weren’t a three-hour drive away, there wouldn’t be any way for a of hands with the rest of race

The only discord coht breaks out in the backseat As sisters, they probably have closer to 99 percent in conize that They’d rather fight over what kind of pet they’re going to get … even though I’ any indication frouet ho if I can use the computer It’s in a very public place, and I will need everyone to be in another rooirls run around, I retire to Roger’s room and do his weekend hoer has a later bedtime than his sisters, and in this I aet an hour of television in the saer’s et ready for bed There’s much protest, but it falls on deaf ears This is its own kind of ritual, and Moirls into their paja out their clothes for tomorrow, I have a few minutes on , and there’s no e from Rhiannon yet I decide it can’t hurt to be proactive here, so I type in her address and start an email before I can stop myself

Hi Rhiannon,

I just wanted to say that it was lovely ht I’h you’re not ender-wise, you’re certainly my type, person-wise Please keep in touch

N

That seeratulatorially so Sincere, but not overbearing It’s only a few lines, but I reread it at least a dozen tio of the words and wonder ords will co a while--it sounds like there’s soument about which chapter their read-aloud left off on--so I load up esture One click, and the instant appearance of the inbox, in all its fa into a rooht in the middle of it

There, under a bookstore newsletter, is an incoe from none other than Nathan Daldry

The subject line is WARNING

I read:

I don’t knoho you are or what you are or what you did to et aith it I will not let you possess me or destroy my life I will not remain quiet I knohat happened and I know you must be in some way responsible Leave me alone I aer’sht, then You have ten minutes more, then I want you to helpweek ahead of us"

"Okay, Mom I’ll be there in ten minutes"

I turn back to the email I don’t kno to respond, or if I should respond I have a vague recollection of Nathan’sme while I was on the co the history So when Nathan loaded up his email, it must have been my address that popped up But he doesn’t know my password, so the account itself should be safe Just in case, though, I know I need to change my password and move all my old emails, quick

I will not remain quiet

I wonder what this means

I can’t forward all my old emails in the ten minutes that I have, but I start to er’sthe history and turning off the co up on the side of the road I try to iine what he must have felt But the truth is, I don’t know Did he feel like it was sootten hi rong, that someone else had been in control? Was he sure of this when he went to his computer and saw my email address?