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“Mothers and daughters We save each other, sì?”

Elsa stared at Rose for as long as she could,about her, but at last, she had no choice It was time to leave this place, this woman, this home

She left Rose standing on the porch and walked across the hillocks of black sand to the loaded-up truck, where Loreda sat in the front

Elsa got into the driver’s seat and slahed, started up

Elsa drove slowly down the driveway and turned toward town

The landscape was black and piled with sand To the left, she saw an automobile half buried; a hundred feet farther on, a man lay dead, his hand outstretched, his open mouth full of sand “Don’t look,” she said to Loreda

“Too late”

Lonesome Tree was shrouded in black dirt

Elsa pulled up in front of the ot out and went inside that she realized that she’d left the truck running and had said nothing to Loreda

She saw the doctor and flagged him down “I’m here for Ant”

Elsa saw that the hospital was full frohed; babies cried in a hacking way that broke her heart

“Is he healthy?” Elsa asked “You said he was ready to leave That hasn’t changed?”

“He’s healthy, Elsa,” the doctor said, patting her hand “Itas a year to really heal But he’s recovered Might be he suffers with asthma later You’ll just have to keep an eye on him”

“I’ him to California,” she said, unable to smile about it

“Good”