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"Well, Samuel will be at the Christmas Eve Service with me and Don tomorrow," Nettie said without prea when he ith us before Re?" Nettie started to giggle girlishly "I thought we le turned into a chortle as she reminisced

My heart had stopped several seconds back, and I stood frozen to the old linoleu section of red ribbon Sa duhter stuttered and stopped as she rose to touch ht, Josie?" She asked, startled

I shook htly down into Nettie’s lined and worried face

"I was just a little surprised is all," I said briskly, proud ofal for the holidays?" Memories of Saht of how desperately I had hed, and, satisfied that I was fine, sank back into the chair and resuain, kind of like vacation tiht him to be a sniper, you know" Nettie’s voice had dropped conspiratorially, like she was delivering good gossip, and her eyes greide at the thought of her grandson’s sniping skills "He doesn’t talk about it nments"

I smiled at the thrill that was evident in Nettie’s face Nettie was a sucker for To

"Anyway," Nettie continuedhim to come back for years, but he never seemed to want to I think Saood memories he has of Levan and the months he spent here It was a hard time for him"

The little fissure in my heart with Samuel’s name on it cracked wide open Nettie continued on, co to spend a couple days with us and then go on to the reservation in Arizona for a week or so His Grandettin’ on in years She was in her late thirties when she had Sa 80 now Samuel says she still looks after her sheep…she herds theine it!"

"Is Sa dishes fro to seem nonchalant

"Oh he’ll be rollin’ in tomorrow sora I sure can’t wait to hear you play, honey My word, it’s like we have our very own Liberace"

I smiled at her comparison I didn’t have much in common with the flamboyant Liberace, but she was sincere in her praise, and I loved her for it

"Well, I’ll be gettin’ on home now, love Don will be wonderin’ where I ahtly, all the while having a ain I closed the door behind Nettie and slid down it until I was propped weakly against it, s splayed out in front of me I was sixteen years old now Samuel was 21 Would he be the sah to himself as he remembered our friendship? Would he be eood friends with so? I suddenly wanted my mother desperately I didn’t knoould even be able to play at the Christ he was there My stomach roiled nervously, and I pulled myself up and slid onto the piano bench, determined that I would play better than I’d ever played before

I spent the nextpanic Finally, after I’d tried on everything I had in every coood with hair andwith her scissors, but Aunt Louise and her entire brood tended to be a little obnoxious and aggressive and way too blunt I had shied away fro for help with ave Aunt Louise or Tara an inch, they would take the proverbialLouise would be thrilled to help, but II could hear chaos in the background and had to raise ave Louise the run-down onto wear, and could she possibly helpht be able to co on display for my cousins and Uncle Bob was more than I could bear

"I need an excuse to leave the house," Louise said row out of this Christ froonna shoot myself" I heard her shout out a few orders to Bob, a couple ultiest two, and a deht work for Josie"

"I’ll be there at 3:30 That’ll give us plenty of tirin in Louise’s voice, but I was too grateful to be afraid