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There’s a shuffle on the porch steps, and we all look up Theto see Thomas, maybe drunk as a skunk but all in one piece When the pastor opens the door, it isn’t Tho" The sheriff nods His blue eyes sweep the room as he removes his hat "Can I speak to you, Reverend?" Miller doesn’t invite hioes too, and that strikes e Maybe he thinks he can help in some way Byrd stays where he is, but Bitsy flashes him a look and motions toward the back door There are dynamics in this house I don’t understand

I’ve associated with Coettes and anarchists, but this is so new to me, the level of powerlessness blacks suffer in a white cos tre

I’d like to go out on the porch to find out what’s happening, but I’m rooted to the floor Has Hardman come about Tho for Katherine? Are they looking for me?

Byrd wanders casually toward the kitchen The hand pump squeaks, and water runs into the sink There’s the clink of a coffee cup on the counter Now Bitsy unfolds herself, and when I turn she’s at the back door, kissing him tenderly He places both hands on her waist At any other time, I would be happy to see that Bitsy has a sweetheart, but tonight I just fear for him and hurt for her

Herher new beau away into the night, for his own sake

"Here they co the corner of the lace curtain and turning quickly I suppose it’s poor forine cranks up, and the door swings open

"Is Tho

Reverend Miller looks very old, and Hester looks weary "Yeah," the vet says "As far as we knowbut the cops are looking for hiht, rothreats in front of the MacIntosh home"

"The cops went to the speakeasy?" I ask "You’d think the laould shut it down" The vet rolls his eyes, indicating that I’m naive

"His deputy drove by Williaht, but the lights were off and no one was around Hardman came here to order Thomas to stay out of town until he cools off"

After fear and great sadness co us all at once Mrs Miller yawns The pastor looks at his watch The vet stands with one hand on the knob I turn to Bitsy "We’d better go hoives Reverend and Mrs Miller a hug, then ain, sitting with my arms around her in the backseat of Hester’s car "I’m so sorry"

It isn’t until we are halfway up Wild Rose Road that I reht I left feed for her yesterday, but other than that she’s had nothing to eat Has she given birth? My thank-you to the vet is hurried and la"

Upstairs, I tuck Bitsy into bed, then rush down to feed the dogs, who are ju all over me When I finally sla the barn door

"Moonlight’s okay," he inforh water and hasn’t calved yet I threw her some hay and tossed the chickens some feed By the looks of her, she’ll calf soon Keep an eye on her"

We stand together in the warht, the grass actually looks green All around us are green growing things, and in the distance I can hear the Hope River I lean into him, a silent thank-you, and he puts one arm around me The smell of the animals is still on his shirt, and the almost full ht

The days since Mary’s death have passed slowly Is it three? Is it four? I count back Katherine ran to us Tuesday night, the day of the big thunderstor We didn’t learn of her death until that evening Now it’sI consult Stenger’s calendarFriday or Saturday It’s all a blur Death does that Stops tiarden’s full of weeds, and I have no heart to pull them Twice Bitsy and I have ridden on Star to Wildcat, but no one has seen Thomas Then Bitsy went into Liberty with the Millers to eround until Sunday because the Emmanuel Funeral Hooodness they are trained e over us like a shroud, but the rain doesn’t co on the other side of the wall The sound slices through rief for my motherfor Lawrencefor Rubenfor Mrs Kellyfor all those I’ve lost

I light a lantern, put on the red silk kio down to the kitchen When I come back, I don’t even knock at the door to her bedrooe her over, fluff up her extra pillows, then hand over the last of Mrs Kelly’s blackberry wine We finish the wholeanything, just sharing our sorrow

"Thanks," Bitsy says as she rolls away from me onto her side I curl around her, one arm around her waist, as I once did with Katherine, e thought her baby was dead, our loose bodies folding into each other

Bitsy kisses : we are more than two roommates who share a house, more than tomen who share a vocation, more than friends, and this makes me cry, one sob fro Bitsy gets up at dawn, as usual Over tea and the homemade bread that Mrs Miller pressed on us e left Hazel Patch, we are silent about last night I holdabout the blackberry wine, and Bitsy tells me that she still has Katherine’s ten-dollar bill and the Hazel Patch folks are paying for the funeral We’ve coone, Katherine is gone, and Thomaswe still don’t knohere he is