【】ff.</p>

asprosed,fiveerrachelhekitdolingout</p>

lasagnaandsalad.tierthat,digestingheralalong</p>

anthahad</p>

reents.</p>

fifteeerthat,havingsho</p>

sllsandputonfreshclothes,sheranabrushthroughherhair.</p>

thenshepausedandlookedhebookshehadreadthe</p>

weekendbefore.</p>

shesearhoutsuess.thinkingshe</p>

ghthavealreadysetitout,sheretuedtothekitandlooked</p>

around.”isbookihegirlshedishes,</p>

santhawashing,h.</p>

”idlook,”santhasaidenotto</p>

doanythinguntiltheseail,</p>

stlyeanchild.”i</p>

othetelephone,”shesaid,cheginandaround</p>

okbooks.shedoubledovertosearchtheseatsofthechairspushed</p>

inatthetable.”ireerhavingitinhand,”sherredto</p>

herselfhatsearch,too,provedfruitless.</p>

”yourenanized,”santhacharged.rachelregularlypreached</p>

theritsanization.</p>

”oh,ia”shesed,butdistractedly.sheintotheliving</p>

roondbegansearyplateright</p>

noildly.hhershohreeweeksawayand</p>

closinginfast,shehech.okay.shehadfinally</p>

hitgoldhtheseaotters.butthereillthebackgroundtodo</p>

forthatoneandsixothers,aeeninalltofrahichwould</p>

havebeenfineifshehadnothingbutodoithree</p>

anthaforherfirstpro</p>

anendoftheyearpiictorunforhopesseventhgradeclass,</p>

dentistsasforbothgirls,abirthdaypartyto</p>

throetidate,</p>

andashareyourcareerdaytospendhthreefifthgradersshe</p>

didntknow.</p>

shehadsplurgedlastnight.sheshouldntbegoinganywhere</p>

tonight.</p>

butlastnighthadbeenfirlsaher.bookclubwas</p>

justforher.shelovedtheen,lovedthebooks.evenifitadded</p>

pressuretoanalreadyheissinga</p>

eting.</p>

hopeterializedathershoulder.”ithinkitsinyourstudio.”</p>

closinghereyes,rajuredupthestudio,afarend</p>

ofherralinghouse.shehadleftitfortheday,theuedfor</p>

anuedlittleuingyes,shedhadthe</p>

bookinherhand.shehadcarrieditthereadown.</p>

”thanks,sheart.”shecuppedhopes.”areyouokay”the</p>

childlookedforlo.</p>

”guineverely.”sheate,didntshe</p>

”hopenodded.</p>

”seetherethatsagoodsign.”shekissedhopesforehead.”id</p>

bettergetthebook.iunninglate.”</p>

”etogetit”hopeasked.</p>

butrachelreeredshehadbeendraheottershad</p>

recapturedhereye.sheakesurethatthatdra</p>

safelyaway.</p>

”thanks,sheart,butilldoit.”antto</p>

lethergo,shebegged,”helpsaplease,”aoff.</p>

thebookit,ohelarge</p>

able.</p>