Page 50 (1/2)

“I know better than toNow you have learned this lesson, too ” She stood up, her shoulders only a little stooped “It would break your father’s heart to hear you two fighting You are lucky to have each other Act like it ” Then she walked out of the room

They heard her door slam shut upstairs

“Look, Nina,” Meredith said after a long silence “I don’t give a shit about her fairy tales I’ll take care of her because I pro to do But what you’re talking about—trying to get to know her—it’s a kamikaze mission and I’ve crashed once too often Count me out ”

“You think I don’t know that?” Nina said “I’m your sister I kno hard you tried with her ”

Meredith turned abruptly back to the stove, attacking the melted pot as if treasure lay beneath it

Nina got up and went to her sister “I understand why you put her in that terrible place ”

Meredith turned “You do?”

“Sure You thought she was going looney tunes ”

“She is looney tunes ”

Nina didn’t knohat to say, how even to frame her opinion so that it made sense All she kneas that she’d lost so the proet her to tell”

“Do what you want,” Meredith said finally, sighing “You always do ”

At work, Meredith tried to lose herself in the everydaythe orchard and the warehouses, but nothing she did was right It felt as if there were a valve in her chest tightening with every breath she took The pressure building up behind it was going to blow any ave up and left before she could do e She tossed a packet of papers on Daisy’s desk, said tensely, “File this, please,” and walked away before Daisy could ask a question

She got in her car and just drove At first she had no idea where she was going; sootten road In some ways, it led back to her youth

She parked in front of the Belye Nochi gift shop It was a lovely little building set back fro apple trees

Long ago, it had been a roadside fruit stand; here, Meredith had spent so their ripe, perfect apples to tourists