Page 131 (1/2)

Instead, he watched the a recipe for low-fat gravy—and by the scrunched-up expression on her face, it was not going well Lina was setting the table

He’d never seen such goings-on for a , that was for sure He unearthed a sudden memory of the holiday from his childhood

“Who wants whitethrough the dingy darkness of the trailer No one answered Atwo stea them down on the brown Forel I couldn’t carry three”

She hadn’t h the entree before the booze kicked in Midsentence, she pitched face-first into the hed until they cried, then carried their tin trays into the living roo television, and talking

Brothers…

“Dinner is ready” Madelaine’s voice brought Angel back to the present The misty memories of the past faded

He blinked and looked at the table Long and oval, it was covered in a white linen tablecloth It was dotted with flickering candles and layered with platters of food Healcove

Halfway there, he stopped Splashes of color marred the perfect white of the tablecloth, and it took hi There were three sets of multicolored handprints on the fabric At one end of the table, on either side of the white and burgundy china place setting, were two navy-blue handprints—and painted carefully alongside was the name and date, Madelaine, 1985 To her left, a tiny red set that read Lina

At the head of the table, stark and alone, a yellow set Francis

Across the table, Lina’s gaze o I didn’t think …”

Angel noticed his own place setting beside Madelaine’s There were no handprints, of course, just pristine white linen on either side of his plate It made him feel ridiculously out of place

Finally Madelaine ereen paint She caught his eye and stopped He couldn’t help noticing the pallor in her cheeks and the gentle tremble in her lower lip “It’s a faave him a tender smile “It’s a little messy”

He took the paint and brush from her hands and wordlessly painted his palms, then, carefully, he pressed a hand on either side of his plate When he was done, he stared down at his work, at the whole table, and felt as if he’d finally come home

“I’ll paint 1996 above your hands after dinner,” Lina said

Angel went to wash his hands, and when he came back, Madelaine and Lina were both seated They were both staring at Francis’s handprints at the head of the table, at his empty place