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/>To you saw Edith again?”
Abby nodded her head “Yes, well, no I ht of Jess’s candle class”
They both reht And what had happened the nexther look up at hiaze searched hers “The loose board upstairs It wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”
She shook her head “No, it wasn’t I saw her, Toht up the stairs Stopped and looked out the backfor a minute and then stood in the very spot where that box was hidden”
“And then what happened?”
“She disappeared” She blinked up at him, uncertain If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she would think she was crazy Did To it all up? If he didn’t believe this, he’d never believe what just happened “You believe me, don’t you?”
He rubbed a hand over her hair Did he believe her? Tom wasn’t sure, but he knew Abby and she wasn’t crazy and she wasn’t a liar He shrugged “There’s a lot of superstition a fishermen, and I’ve heard my share of stories Who am I to say? If you say you saw her, I believe you”
A war so wonderful and pure that she nearly cried again She hadn’t expected his unequivocal support
“That day e found the box of letters? I’d been drea, just before you arrived I saw bits and pieces of what happened then but couldn’t put it all together But just nohen I touched that railing … it was like I was there, too, Tom Like I was her I can’t explain it It’s crazy But this whole thing is crazy I just knohat I know And what I know is that Elijah shoved her away and she tumbled down these very stairs”
Her eyes were deep and sad “No matter what she did, she didn’t deserve that She was a roithout her” Abby began to cry again, thinking of her own family, as Tom murmured words of comfort and held her close She wrapped her ar his warmth
“Are you all right now?” Tom’s raspy voice arm in her ear when she’d finally quieted She didn’t want to let go The , earth-shattering way But once this one forever, and she wanted his arer
“I’m fine Sad, but fine”
“You should eat so”
“I will, I promise”
He took a finger and tilted up her chin “That’s not a pro in the kitchen, re here besides half a box of crackers Why don’t you wash your face and we’ll get so in town”