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"I hate sports clues" Mãe set down her pen "How about soealed food lacked appeal

Neither did the bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt she set in front ofto worryme, too

"I understand how you feel," my mother said, her voice full of concern "It’s hard when people are talking about you, thinking you’re part of whatever happened to Mysty"

And Kathleen, I thought

"Why aren’t you talking?" she asked

Speaking requires too

"Sounds like teenage angst" Mãe went back to the crossword, trying to hide her worry

Part of st I spent days lying around the house or going down to Dashay’s arden It had been wrecked by the hurricane and patiently restored by her; she’d replanted the flowers and foliage, all in shades of black, and replaced the obelisk fountain with a new one: a statue of a woman that wept black tears I sat on a black iron bench and contemplated death, because that’s what one is supposed to do in a garden of gloom

My mood lasted for nearly teeks Then, one afternoon in late September, when the humidity dropped and a sweet breeze blew in fro unfolded on the kitchen table I sawI didn’t even have to touch it to begin reading it

My father wrote: "I’ depressed, but not surprised, given all she’s had to endure this year The disappearance of the local girl is regrettable, not only for her family but for ours"

I liked the "ours"

"Since the FBI is involved in the investigation, I won’t return as I’d planned," he wrote "But Ari’s lessons should not be suspended indefinitely Her current ree of boredoestion is that we begin at once to look into options for continuing her education She’s e of place will do her good"

At that point I stopped reading I wasn’t at all sure I was ready for college But I let in a new life in a new place It ht even be fun

That’s when I decided I’d had enough angst It had succeeded only in worryingme

Mãe was in one of the new upstairs roo its walls a pale shade of turquoise that had a hint of silver in it She said that yes, Raphael had planned to return the following month, and that she’d warned him about the FBI interest in me

She handed me a paintbrush "You can do the corners"

"I like this color," I said "What’s it called?"

"Indian Ocean," she said "A glorified name for a simple blue"

"But it’s appropriate," I said I dipped the brush into the can, then tapped off the excess paint "It looks like the color of an ocean far away"

She sain"

"I readthe brush up the inner corner of a wall

"I know you did" She poured more paint into her roller pan

She’d left it there for ht Mothers can be devious creatures

For a while we painted The ere open, and the salty breeze innings

"Do you think I’e?" My voice sounded as uncertain as I felt

"I’an a third "I think it ent Burton called on us, Dashay aiting for hi dark red dress, her hair loose and wavy

From the kitchen , Mãe and I watched her talk to Burton as they ca with him," I said

"She wants him to help her find Bennett" Mãe’s voice carried disapproval and understanding, both "She says she has a plan And when Dashay has a plan, things happen"

"Good things?"

Mãe said, "Things happen fast And soet broken"

We looked out at Dashay and Burton, and I had a sudden wild fantasy: Dashay would o away But I knew better

Root sentpersonal, only newsletters about music and books When I saw her name on my laptop’s screen, I felt repulsed, as if she herself had appeared in my room, and for the first time I questioned ian shadow?