【】dabouttospeak,thenstopped,andherheart
stoppedrightalonghit.shedreraighteranddidnt
lookaotheredto
kh.
sothingcrossedhisfacethen,andshekneadeheri.e
point.hisvoiceorereassuring.”no,hope,sheisnt
dead.ioyouaboutthat.deal”shenodded,
breathingagain.”anoing.”helooked
atthecat.”sothisisthethingthatshothefrontdoorone
dayallbittenandbruised”hopefihetabbysear.”the
biteshealed.”
”gs
actsaaidshedidntknoouldsurvivedriving
offacliff.”
”yourtherdidntdriveoffthecliff.sheeoneelse,
andshedidsurvive,sosaaswrong.”
”isherleginacast””uhhuh.”
”heal””sure.brokenlegsaledto
ntradicthibutshekerthanhedidonthis.
”notaladage.
thatdbea.shedhavetroublehthehills.”those
hillsantthehhopeand
santha.hopehadonefavoritespot.santhahadanother.but
rahelhaddozens.liketheeucalyptusgrove.rachelsaid
thatapersondidnthavetobesiellof
eucalyptus.
hopeuldntuntthenuerofhoursshehadsatinthatgroveh
herther,sllingthatsll,listeningtothedistaof
dunssheep,thinkingaboutthingsthatneededhealing.hope
usuallythoughtaboutguinevere.andaboutjack.shewonderedif
racheldid.
”yeonthat.”hope
issedeveryoneofher
birthdaysforthelasteightyears,andonlysixofthosehade
afterthedivorce.hehadprosedheherethosefirsttwo
tis,thenhadbeenoutoftoedidnt
tterthathecalledandapologizedandcelebratedhherlaterhe
hadbrokenaprose.
santhasaidheanthasaid
thatrachelesretrusthythanjack.
only,rachelthere.
”thisesfrohedoctor,”jasisted.”herlegwillheal.”
hopelooothedguineveresruff,andartingto
silentlyrepeattheantraanthasvoice
cafrohedoor.
”here”sheaskedjack.
helookedupand,foranute,ddledbyfatigueandhought
hesalythehairblondbutnolongerasfineas
hopes,was
partlythefigure,redefinedeveninthesixehehadseen
herlast.behatshirtsilartotheohatsonhope,
santhastoodandassubtlycurvedasherther.butit
hevoihedit,theeaution,evenhurt,thathe
hadheardinrachelontheirlastnighttogetherandsuddenlyhewas
bathatnight,sthroughtheclosetforties
topackthedoor.
heuldseeherclearasday,hhertousledblondhairale
curves.shehadjustleftthestudiotheysharedoopfloorof
theirpinkditerraylehointherina,andwaswearingan
oldpairofslieansandoneofhisshirts.theonceeshirtwas
spatteredhadozendifferentlors,nottheleastofhe
aquarineshehadrepaiheirbedroonths
before.herfatthatput
hinthedefensiveinaflash.
”ithoughtyougoing,”shesaid.
”sodidi,butihadtogeplans.”hepushedtiesaroundonthe
rack,lookingforoogohthesuitshehadlaidout.
”e.iingyoudbehereforawhile.”
hedidnttu,didnttoseeherpallor.”so
youjust...just...sayno””thatsnottheworks,”
heansoresharplythannecessary,butshesoundedsoreasonable
asoguilty,andheired,ithadbeenthatkindof
week.
”ivebeeodesigioer.abigion
ter.thebasicdesignybedothatstheeasypart.the
hardpartisfleshingitoutforfunandfit,andtodothat,i
havetofeelthecityre.”hetosseddoieaoher,
pleading.”thinkofyourownwork.
youkeprelinarysketches,butsodoeseveryotherartist.okay.
yourskillsetsyouapart.butsodotheakeoh,
attitude,diuandyoutkethoseeshoutspending
tiinthefield.heri.”shekepthervoicelo
shedidntbaytraveltooneeayear,
becauseihaveresponsibilitieshere.yoonththree
tis,ifyougotoprovideorrow.”
”thisishel.
”shelookedclosetotears.”itdoesnthavetobe.”
”itdoes,ifisonherchesthe
reeredthat,reeredfeelingannoyed,becausesheha
slihing,shuttinghiuththatgesture,andstillbarely
raisinghervoice,adeshesaidevenstrohat
leavesalonehere.”onlyinannerofspeaking,heknew.”you
havethegirls.youuldhavefriendsifyouedtodothings
besidespaint.youuldbeouteverynight,ifyoued.”
”butidont.ineverhave,neveroet,notnow.i
hatedressingup,ihateslltalk,ihatestandingaroundonspikey
heelsngoylittleks.”
”notevenfoodharityfundraisersegral
partofsoeonelike
jack.heoseeandbeseen.itwasgoodforbusiness.
sadly,shesaid,”itpainthere.”andpaintingwasherworld,
adehivenredefensiveandannoyed.”everyartistgets
blocks.”
”itsrethanthat.”thosefoldedarhuggedherddle.”ibr>
driedup,creativelydead.itseelorhere.itfeel
subjectstheethe
probleartitateslife.iothappyhere.iotsatisfied.
idontfeelplete.youandiareapartrethanwere
together.”
”thentravele,”heurged,shiftingtheresponsibilitytoher.
sherolledhereyes.”hroughthis.”
”right.youleavethegirls.youdoitforyouot
forne.hoakesfeellikeasendbanana,
isho
...