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The child nodded thoughtfully, and for a long tiazed up into the cathedral of suspended lives After a while Josefina said, "Sofirewood at Bear and Hester’s and called to say he was staying for supper, but Dellarobia declined to bring the kids over and join them Hester’s confession in the woods had left her with a new and strange detach in her ears Not exactly unwelcome, but unbound; there was a difference She felt invisible and light It was Friday night She would fix so she and the kids favored like soup and fish sticks, and they’d watch so they arrived in one piece Dovey was picking the over too The phone beeped on the table, and it was that bad girl, texting: GOT EM, ON OUR WAY

Dellarobia shot back: TXT WHILE DRIVING IF

:) was the proravel to get away fro out tile for no apparent reason Dovey was seriouslyout, she said, like the boy who cried wolf, his cries ignored by all She would stay put as long as Dellarobia’s place served her so well as a halfway house Just as Cordie and Preston provided her the option of halfway motherhood

Dellarobia was surprised to hear them pull up in the driveway so soon Roy went to the front door and signaled an alert: ears up, tail down Dellarobia went to look out the little upper s in the door and was startled to see the white News Nine Jeep in her driveway Tina Ultner in a belted white coat was out of the car, head down, the corn-silk hair pulsing with each fast step as she came up the walk Dellarobia dropped to the floor to sit face to face with Roy, her back pressed against the doorjamb There was not time to run and hide in the bedroom She heard the hollow tick of a woht as Tina lass panes Roy looked at Dellarobia and cocked his head to one side, the collie question er and Roy stood fast The house took on the feel of a boain Then silence

Roy glanced fro signs of nervousness The tidy knock revived

Dellarobia remembered she’d pocketed her phone after Dovey’s text, praise be She put it on vibrate before keying carefully: DON’T COME TO THE HOUSE

The reply from Dovey was immediate: ???

GO AWAY XPLAIN LATER

WE R HERE BEHIND JEEP WTF?

Tina rang the doorbell Roy yawned again, but didn’t move

I M HIDING GO!

Aback and forward, dancing at the edge of self-restraint Dellarobia stared at the screen until the reply appeared PRESTON HAS TO P ME TOO CORDIE ALREADY DID