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wouldnt want you to cry

She took as much of it as she could because she knew Gran would have wanted that, but by eleven oclock, she was ready to scream Didnt any of the ishers see, didnt they realize that Tully was a seventeen-year-old girl, dressed in black and all alone in the world?

If only Katie and the Mularkeys were here, but she had no idea how to reach them in Canada, and since they wouldnt be home for two days, she had to endure this alone With them beside her, a pretend fah the service

Without theh the terrible, heart-wrenching ot up in the middle of the funeral and walked out

Outside, in the hot August sunlight, she could breathe again, even though the tears were always near to the surface, as was the pointless query, How could you leave me like this?

Surrounded by dusty old-model land yachts, she tried not to cry Mostly, she tried not to remember, or to worry about ould happen to her

Nearby, a twig snapped and Tully looked up At first all she saere the haphazardly parked cars

Then she saw her

Over by the propertys edge, where a row of towering maple trees delineated the start of the city park, Cloud stood in the shade, sarette Dressed in tattered corduroy bell-bottoms and a dirty peasant blouse, parenthesized by a wall of frizzy brown hair, she looked rail-thin

Tully couldnt help the tiny leap of joy her heart took Finally, she wasnt alone Cloud ht be a little nuts, but when the chips were down, she caive heryears, all the abandonments What mattered was that she was here nohen Tully needed herto a breathless stop "You knew Id need you "

Herwhen she almost fell "Youre a beautiful spirit, Tully All you need is air and to be free "

Tullys sto for help with her eyes "Please"

"Always " There was an edge to Clouds voice now, a sharpness that belied the glassy look in her eyes

"Im your flesh and blood and I need you now Otherwise Ill be alone " Tully knew she hispering, but she couldnt seem to find any volume for her voice

Cloud took a stu step forward The sadness in her eyes was unmistakable, but Tully didnt care Her mothers pseudo-emotions came and went like the sun in Seattle "Look at me, Tully "