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She turned slightly, saw her ht, her white hair perfectly styled, her clothes ironed She knew her mother had been here for hours; she’d tried repeatedly to speak to Jude, but what good ords noeen strangers?

“Let me help you, Judith,” her et you some coffee Food will help ”

“Food will not help ”

“There’s no need to yell, Judith ” Mother glanced up and down the hallway, to see who ht have heard the outburst “Come with me ” She reached down

Jude wrenched sideways, scurrying tighter into the corner “I’o see Zach I’m fine ”

“YouYou’ve been here seven hours ”

Already Jude was sick of people saying this to her As if food in her stomach would remedy the hole in her heart “Go away, Mother I appreciate you co here, okay? But I need to be alone You wouldn’t understand ”

“Wouldn’t I?” Her mother made a quiet sound, and then said, “Fine ” She lowered herself to her knees beside Jude

“What are you doing?”

Her mother collapsed the last inch to the cold linoleuhter ”

Jude felt a stirring of guilt—no doubt this was one of her estures, a way to force Jude into bending to her will At any other tihed in defeat and gotten to her feet, doing as herto leave this spot until Miles caet her “You shouldn’t sit here, Mother It’s cold ”

Her mother looked at her, and for a split second, there was an unbearable sadness in her gaze “I’ve been cold before, Judith Anne I’ ”

Jude shrugged It was all too ht now, and certainly not her mother “Whatever,” she said tiredly, and the retted it How could one word bring back an era, a child, in such exquisite detail? She saw Mia at thirteen, braces and acne and insecurity, saying “whatever” in answer to every question …

She closed her eyes and remembered …

“Jude?”