Skylight Confessions (28 page)

He jumped out of desperation or he fell by accident, but maybe he'd had hope as well. Once upon a time, in a place not far from here, someone who was lost was found. Someone who was sinking rose into the clouds. Someone fell in love. Someone was saved. Blanca went back down to the fourth floor. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt anything resembling happiness.

Here she was, all by herself on a singular morning. She let everything go as she stood in the dark hallway; she let it drift away like ashes on a windowsill or birds on a ledge. She thought of Icarus and of the glass house where they'd grown up; she thought of her mother in a white summer dress. It was hot and humid and the sky was still dark at the edges, riotously blue in the very center.

She had no idea where she was or how she'd ever get home or if she'd go back to London or if she was in love or even if there was someone inside the apartment who would open the door for her.

All the same, she rang the bell, and then she waited for whatever would happen next.

ABOUT THE

AUTHOR

ALICE HOFFMAN is the bestselling author of eighteen acclaimed novels, including
The Ice Queen, Practical Magic, Here on Earth, The
River King, Blue Diary, Illumination Night, Turtle Moon, Seventh
Heaven,
and
At Risk,
as well as the highly praised story collections
Local Girls
and
Blackbird House.
She lives outside Boston.

Table of Contents

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE