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On the drive home, Miles kept up a steady streae into the lane of their new existence, but neither Jude nor Zach could go there with hi eave up, turning on the radio instead

“… Pine Island teen killed—”

Jude snapped it off and the silence returned She sluh to war dully out theas the ferry pulled into port She was so rief that she hardly saw the fanized her surroundings

Miles had turned onto Night Road

She gave a gasp of recognition “Miles ”

“Shit,” he said “Habit ”

The trees on either side of the h in one of the branches, a lone eagle perched proudly, watching so far below

They turned a hairpin corner, and there i

t was: the scene of the accident Twin skid ray asphalt A tree was cracked, half of it fallen aside At its base, aup

“Oh, man,” Zach said from the backseat

Jude wanted to look away but she couldn’t The ravine between the road and the broken tree was streith bouquets of flowers, stuffed ani the side of the road was a van with a satellite disk perched on top: a local news vans Jude knehat she’d see on the evening news tonight: iaps in their teeth, looking haggard and dra, older, crying about Mia’s death, layinglit votives in slass jars

And ould happen to all those stuffed animals that had been put here? Fall would co, and this place would becoed reminder of their loss

Less than a ravel driveway

Mia had died less than a mile from home They could have walked …

At the front door was another shrine Friends and neighbors had layered the entrance with flowers When Jude got out of the car, she srance, but already so to curl and turn brown