Cedar Woman (175 page)

Le
n
a
felt
Kelly’s
wet
n
o
se
a
g
ai
n
st
h
er
arm.
R
o
lli
n
g
t
o
her
si
d
e,
s
h
e f
ou
nd
herse
l
f
peer
i
ng
i
n
t
o
th
e
deep,
b
rown
eyes
of
the
g
e
ntle
canine.
A weak
s
m
ile
creased
her
fac
e
.
Reaching
out,
she
b
e
g
a
n
to
stroke
Kelly’s
s
o
f
t
,
w
h
it
e
f
u
r.

“
S
u
nka
Sk
a
,
y
ou
w
i
sh
t
o
c
o
m
fort
m
e,
but
y
ou
do
not k
n
ow
what
i
s w
r
o
n
g,
d
o
y
ou
?
”
Lena
q
u
e
r
i
ed.

Sitti
n
g
u
p
rig
h
t
,
Le
n
a
d
a
s
h
ed
n
o
n-e
x
iste
n
t
tears
fr
o
m
h
er
c
h
ee
k
s. Stand
i
n
g
,
she
br
u
sh
e
d
h
e
r
ha
n
d
s
alo
n
g
t
h
e
length
o
f
her
clo
t
hi
ng
,

straight
e
n
i
n
g any
w
r
i
n
kles.
M
o
ti
o
ni
n
g
to Kell
y
,
L
e
na desc
e
nd
e
d
t
h
e stairs.

Wal
k
i
n
g
to
t
h
e
sli
d
ing
d
o
o
r
s
to
t
h
e
ba
c
k
d
e
ck,
L
e
na
gaz
e
d
up
on
t
h
e

bu
c
o
li
c
sc
e
n
e be
f
o
re h
e
r.
D
u
c
k
s
q
u
a
c
k
e
d;
t
h
e
fo
un
t
a
i
ns’
s
p
ray
ar
c
h
ed t
o
ward
t
h
e
h
ea
v
ens
and
fell
to
t
h
e
water
in
g
liste
n
ing
b
o
u
qu
ets
o
f
li
gh
t
. The
su
n
threw dia
m
onds
a
c
ross
the
s
u
rface
of
t
h
e
water,
a
s
birds
c
h
irped a
n
d
san
g
,
and
squi
rr
els
scu
rr
ied.
T
h
e
soun
d
s
o
f
t
h
e
n
eigh
b
o
r
ho
o
d reach
e
d her ears.
T
h
e
day
w
a
s alive.

Ali
v
e.

Le
n
a
ack
n
ow
l
e
dg
e
d
t
o
h
erself
t
h
at
s
h
e had
literally
li
v
ed
with
t
h
e m
e
m
o
ry
o
f
Mic
h
ael as if
h
e were still
up
o
n
t
h
is eart
h
, a
n
d
allowed
n
o oth
e
r
m
an
to
occupy
t
h
e
sp
ace
he
he
l
d
.
Upon
e
n
tering
Sonny’s
offi
c
e, a
n
d
seeing
t
h
e
p
ain
on
h
is
f
ace
t
u
rn
t
o
that
of
lon
g
in
g
,
Lena
w
as
f
or
ced
t
o ad
m
i
t t
h
at a
li
v
ing
m
an
w
a
nt
e
d he
r
, need
e
d
h
er,
l
ov
e
d he
r
.

I
n
t
u
iti
v
ely,
Le
n
a
realized
t
h
at s
h
e
h
a
d
cau
g
h
t
hi
m
o
ff
g
u
ard.
Stri
pp
e
d of
his
u
s
ual
d
e
fens
e
s,
he
d
i
d
not
h
a
ve
t
h
e
p
resence of
m
i
n
d
to
m
ask
his feel
i
ngs
as
he
us
u
a
ll
y
d
i
d.
What
Lena
w
i
t
n
ess
e
d,
n
o
t
an
h
o
u
r
ag
o,
was S
o
nn
y’
s
nak
e
d s
o
ul.

She press
e
d
her
c
h
eek
aga
i
nst
the p
a
ne of
t
h
e door, her
brea
t
h
s
p
re
a
d
in
g
a
c
l
o
u
d
o
f
c
o
n
d
e
n
satio
n
ac
r
o
ss
it.
Wit
h
in
its
wet,
o
p
aq
u
e cl
o
u
d
,
Le
n
a
drew t
h
e letter
M
.

Michael!

H
o
w
can
I
b
e
t
r
a
y
y
o
u?
How
c
a
n
I
c
a
st
y
o
u
a
s
i
d
e
and
m
a
ke
my
life
w
ith
a
no
t
her?
Y
o
u
are
my
hu
sb
an
d
!