oke ear

d him. Or maybe it was the quiet. Not the city silence he once paid for with reinforced win

utside just as the first

een and stubborn. Li

already i

nodded. That was her way. She'd ac

about her. She

scalded. Thalia

arn. Leo joined, munching a sandwich that loo

what you did before?"

ered. "I ran

"What, like

him a look.

one

cture and defen

d. "You we

a rich guy who built to

her water. "And what

s. "He stopped re

re. But she didn'

lled fish. Leo played music on his cracked tablet. Som

m, the guest who was

the meal, Thalia

d worry o

ia said when she hun

she?" Ch

gen

drive

ed. "It's t

onger for wo

atche

nod

eighbors and took the tr

rough old forests

ove. Tha

ep. Softer. Like someone

on outside Eug

ople," she said, stari

kno

he needs m

got you. That's mo

him. "You st

is feels more honest th

swer. But she

ove a laundromat. Her fever was low, her voic

scle," she said

ry," Thalia r

Then he stocked her fridge. Then he carried out a bag

he left. "He's g

eyes. "He's got en

n't hear

me, Thalia

between them wasn't awkward any

sked, "Why haven't

d at her.

Your famil

ady wrote their version

tters

ugh to r

. If you ever want

ed at h

" he sai

ld more history than

rned afte

neighbor's hammock, cu

him in, careful

s. They weren't like city stars-dimmed by ambit

iked

day, ne

ming about "Vale's Vanishing Act." A grainy photo of him in Thalia's f

ad it

ed off th

Thalia didn't mentio

handed h

ere buildin

ybe th