Page 121 (1/1)

"You have to go soon, don’t you?" Nora asked, once they’d both caught their breaths

"It’s a long drive back, but I’ll stay until you tell o But she knew his vines waited for him and she cared about him too much to keep him from the land and the work that was his raison d’être

"I think I’m ready now," she said

"I’ll come with you," he whispered He knehat she needed and offered first, saving her the indignity of having to ask for it

They rose froether Nico put on yesterday’s clothes--he’d brought no others with him She wore a simple white skirt and sweater

Nico took the urn off the fireplace mantel and put it in her hands He held the door open for her and side by side they walked the stone path toward the lake The sun had risen and God had given the--cloudless and cold

They reached the water’s edge and Nora stood so that the lake lapped at her toes

"I prepared a speech on the plane ride over," she told Nico "Seeet one word out"

"Say it noant to hear it"

She sed and nodded Then she began

"Søren …" She paused and let the pain claw at her The dead felt no pleasure, but they felt no pain, either Pain, too, was proof of life "Søren isn’t here I know you wouldn’t want hiain, breathed again

"You should take that as a sign of how much I love you, that I didn’t ask him to come with me"

Another breath

"You never should have hated him I think I hated you a little because of how much you hated him But that was unfair of ether If you hadn’t oing to church that day, I would never have met him But you knohat’s funny about you and him?"