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Moments after my alarm clock shook me out of

sleep, I heard Boggs walk by roaned under the heels of his heavy boots I is woke up If there was really a ghost here, she probably curled up behind some old wall and waited for hi the alar on my door

I needed so letters the night before I hadn't intended to, but when I began to describe things to

Grandmother Hudson, I couldn't help but add all the details

about the school and the sights I had visited My letter ran on for pages and pages, and I kept it all on a positive, happy note My letter to Roy was the sa up to do and I was full of questions about his new life, too Finally bleary-eyed, I stuffed and licked the envelopes and went to sleep

However, despite my exhaustion, I didn't fall asleep as quickly as I had anticipated Many different ehout the day until I had woven a tight cord around er, strands of joy and love, excitement and depression, hope and despair Randall's beautiful eyes flashed before mine and the faces of sos I had seen at the National Gallery appeared as well, so me think of myself

There were alsothe day which had rehter in the park, so on the street, the sounds of hip-hop co from a boom box, a black mannequin in a storefrontdressed in a pantsuit si to make me melancholy

That wasn't all that threwthe streets of London, I recalled holding Roy's hand, his fingers wrapped fully around ht float away should he lose his grip Back in those days, Roy's hold on me filled er as long as he was at my side, no matter where ere or as nearby

But a girl ht I needed to cling to love as well as strength There were other es to have travel over the wires that ran back to hter to sound like hten the day even more; and I wanted words to find comfortable places in which to settle and plant the seeds of row forever and ever until I was too old to remember or too old to care

Could Randall Glenn do all that? More important, did I want him to? Did I want anyone to, or was I afraid of the pain of disappoint sleep waiting at the door until finally even ht that kept these thoughts as bright as neon signs

Now I gruot out of bed I stretched and yawned, rese a sleepwalker as Iclothes out of the wardrobe Finding my sneakers, I plodded down the hallway to the bathroom to wash and dress, and of course, pin back s

Sunday was another big breakfast day, or as Mrs Chester called it, a full English breakfast Out cas, scones, kidney, ja about the kitchen as if we had twenty guests this s when I joined them, just orders barked at me: "Get that pan, wash this dish, cut those biscuits, take out the tea and be careful with those cups"

Great-uncle Richard was at the table with hispaper He was dressed in his suit and tie, his hair brushed i like he had been up for hours When does he relax? I wondered It was Sunday Did he alear a business suit?

Even reat-aunt was formally dressed with her hair done and herto church, but picking up their chatter as Ito the country right after breakfast to visit with sos came into the kitchen to announce they wouldn't be back for dinner and we had the night off as well

Contrary to the odd way Great-aunt Leonora had been acting the day before when I had gone up to speak with her, she was bubbly and energetic thisattention to her, but she talked at hih the newspaper he held up in front of hioing to the country hohted There was even a chance the prince would appear, but in any case, according to Great-aunt Leonora, "the best of society would be there" She talked about these lords and ladies, royals, in a way that oddesses who s the opportunity to kiss their hands or stand in their shadows