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"It snowed last night," Sara ventured

"Hmmmm" Lila’s face was relaxed, her eyes still closed "Well, that’s Denver for you If you don’t like the weather, just wait as, duly noted as such, were a prominent feature of their conversations Sara used a pitcher dipped in bathwater to pour the soap away froan to work in the oil

"So I suppose everything will be closed," Lila continued "I really wanted to get to the " Never mind that, as far as Sara are, Lila never set foot fro, lovely lunch Soood linens and china and flowers on the table"

Sara had learned to go along "That sounds nice"

Lila gave a protracted sigh ofdeeper into the bath "I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I had a long, lovely lunch"

A fewthe oil into the woman’s scalp "I think Eva would enjoy some time outside" It felt like a monstrous lie to say this name, but sometimes it was unavoidable

"Yes, I suppose she would," Lila said nonco, are there any other children she can play with?"

"Other children?"

"Yes, soood for her to have some friends"

Lila frowned uncomfortably Sara wondered if she’d pressed too far "Well," she said, with a tone of concession, "there’s that neighbor girl, little what’s-her-name With the dark hair But I hardly ever see her Most of the families around here keep to themselves Bunch of sticks-in-the-ood friend to her, aren’t you, Dani?"

A friend What stinging irony "I try to be"

"No, it’sdifferent about you, I can tell I think it’s wonderful for Eva, having a friend like you"

"So I can take her outside," Sara said

"In ayou could read to me I do so love to be read to in the bath"

By the time they escaped, it was nearly noon Sara bundled Eva in a coat andit down over the little girl’s ears For herself she had only the robe, and nothing for her feet but her ratty sneakers and wool socks, but she hardly cared Cold feet, so what? They took the stairs to the courtyard and eed into a world so remade it felt like an entirely new place The air had a sharp, fresh s intensity After so looive her vision a moment to adjust But Kate had no such difficulty With a snap of energy she released Sara’s hand and bolted fro herself across the courtyard By the tiht have erred about the sneakers; they were going to be a proble handfuls of downy snow into her mouth

"It tastescold" Her face beamed with happiness "Try some"

Sara did as instructed "Yuirl how to build a snowia; it was as if she were a Little again, playing in the courtyard of the Sanctuary But this was different; Sara was the mother now Time had turned its inexorable circle Hoonderful to feel her daughter’s infectious happiness, to experience the sense of wonder that passed between the, all pain was banished from Sara’s mind They could have been anywhere The two of theht of Amy, too, the first time in years she had done this Airl, or so it seemed, but somehoas; Amy, the Girl fro stopped and held, a century cupped in the hand Sara felt a sudden, unexpected sadness for her She had alondered why Aht at the Far them into the flames Sara had hated them, not just what they represented but the very fact of their existence, but she had also knohat they were: a hope of salvation, the one weapon powerful enough to use against the Twelve (The Twelve, she thought; how long had it been since that name had crossed her mind as well?) Sara had never known quite what to think of Amy’s decision; now she had her answer Amy had known that the life those vials had denied her was the only true huhter, this triumphantly alive little person that Sara’s body had reatest mystery of all-the mystery of death, and what ca, because there was no death By the simple fact of Kate’s existence, Sara was joined to soift of true immortality-not ti and everlasting

"Let’s els," she said

Kate had never done this They lay down side by side, their bodies enveloped in whiteness and the tips of their fingers just touching Above them the sun and sky looked down in witness They moved their limbs back and forth and rose to inspect the iels were: they’re us

"That’s funny," said Kate, s lunch; their tiined the rest of the day: Lila lost in fantasy, leaving the two of the on racks by the fire, Sara and her daughter snuggled on the sofa and the sweet exchange of heat where their bodies touched and the hours of stories she would read-Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin and Jaether into a sleep of intertwining drea back to the entrance when Sara glanced up to theand saw that the drapes were pulled aside Lila atching the had she stood there?

"What’s she doing?" Kate asked

Sara su watching us" But inside she felt a spark of fear

"Why do I have to call her Mummy?"