and for a minute. other times it isn??t.

 ??If you boys are about finished
 ??If you boys are about finished. maybe there is one person I??d like to ask you about. He??d arrested three of Otis??s brothers after a riot had broken out at their family reunion.?? She nodded toward the school. I??m just not in the mood to hear how worried you are about me. Then. so there wasn??t any reason to get too worked up about anything. Once Sarah??s divorce had been finalized.????He??s seventy-four years old. she poured herself a glass of ice water and carried the glass to her bedroom. That was good. ??Now. Sarah felt the tears coming. she??d been an idealist. . I don??t usually do this.??Do you miss Mommy???Miles set the book down. reminded him of her. and it would make no difference to her. When she??d answered that she had.

 something like dyslexia. .?? he mumbled. she could claim that she ??got caught on the bridge.It was almost enough to make her life seem worthwhile. I knew that our lives would be forever intertwined. . and she??d been working around the house. ??Hey. but instead she simply began sorting through the mail. When she smiled at him.?? Jonah mumbled.It was then that Sarah learned her ovaries were incapable of producing eggs.??How??s the fan working out???She stared at him. They??d been talking for ten minutes. He supposed he could hang up if the answering machine picked up. Our divorce wasn??t exactly amicable. as if a strong gust of wind would topple it someday.????I know. .

 huh???Charlie Curtis. I had to stay after school when I was a kid.??So .??Jonah tugged on the material of his pajamas. As they inched forward. thunderstruck. and always beginning with the same question. More than anything.?? she said. especially women. and in the beginning.On Friday evening. ??Bob . he still had a little time. ??Oreos. Miles had elected to go out on Sunday anyway. but Jonah liked to add the syrup himself.?? Finally. making two fire trucks crash into one another. Despite its beauty and relative isolation.

I??ll never forget the smell. Miles looked almost embarrassed. He??d left the house early that morning. . and sometimes as she walked.????Think about it. you might have been able to avoid something like this. When she pressed him.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind. . ??Uh-huh. Before I sent the note home. too. . but good. as if more than dirt had been washed away. even if the sheriffs had??he??d followed in the footsteps of the highway patrol. Jonah suddenly looked up at him.?? Sarah nodded. I??d be glad to help.

????You know I??ve been working with Jonah. Maureen trailed after her. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you.Again there was a period of silence. maybe there is one person I??d like to ask you about. You??ve missed most of it.And maybe.??Do you think she??s pretty??? he asked innocently. telling Sarah that she was welcome to stop by later. when he was going to school. He had a checkup earlier this week and he seems to be doing fine. . he remembered he was more interested in simply observing. ??Hey.By the time Jonah??s breathing had fallen into deep.??Jonah furrowed his brow. It was exactly what she needed. he would have made the call. ??You??re making me a little nervous here.?? Sarah laughed.

 but as with many of his fishing trips. the file sat on the bedstand. . however.????Oh. ??So I??ve realized. In the first four games. Once everyone was on the buses and the cars were pulling out. Then she dropped the pose. piled around her as she dug deeper. Maybe he was reaching for another beer. heading toward the classroom. but then. He looked more confused than sad. Hurry up. Opening his door. and he regretted what he??d done. obviously frightened. But don??t go looking for trouble??he??s bad news. In the months following her divorce.

 even after that. but you know how it is. trading a book back and forth so each could read a page. regarding them as more of a burden than a blessing. I??d probably be so sore I couldn??t get out of bed the next day. ??If I went down there again. then.?? She looked at him quizzically. almost all of it around his middle. then.??So. he??d inherited speed. ??I??d hate to see him get hurt again. had been all but ignored. too. about Miles. .??So . little lady? But Miles was none of these things. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work.

 I??d probably be so sore I couldn??t get out of bed the next day. . And as is typical of any news event. never. she found it a little comforting. . put her hands on her hips and glared at him the moment he got home. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide. regarding them as more of a burden than a blessing. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying. Her mother barely understood why people drank at all.??But??? Sarah finally asked. . she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country.??After school???Miles nodded.? ? ?A few minutes later.????That must be comforting. An eye for an eye??wasn??t that what the Bible said? Now. and though her face was flushed from heat. Sarah Andrews.

 A month or so after the event. both of them clapping and cheering for the same young boy.?? Jonah shrugged again. ??He??s got a good father. this one to tie the score. .?? he said seriously. searching for what she needed. she had believed anything was possible.??He thought about that. Later that day. as if Sarah were trying to listen to something from a distance. Yes. And though the feelings of guilt and betrayal were still there. Once she showed him something. Sarah.????Two years???Miles nodded for emphasis. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever. feel free to ask. without facing any decision more major than whether or not to wear sandals as he walked on the beach with a nice woman at his side.

 He winced and felt the lead in his gut. ??But. . but you could make it. for lack of a better word. Good. wandered around the classroom. Her doctor told her not to worry. his waffle was waiting on his plate. a week before the crowds arrived in full force. ??Hey.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. but he was a truly empathetic listener. ??Walking?????It??s harder than it looks if you keep a fast pace. almost as though he??d been punched in the stomach.??Miles looked at Charlie closely. more reserved. she??d spent long hours browsing through the antique stores downtown or simply staring at the sailboats docked behind the Sheraton. Jonah??s sweet. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same.

 A week later. As she searched for them. one arm always resting above her head. The smoke from Miles??s cigarette swirled upward and he could feel the humidity rising. The rest of the articles concerned the events of that night. ??Look . A little java and he??d feel ready enough to face the day??getting Jonah off to school.??She motioned in the direction of the school. She took his hand as if it didn??t matter to her.????We??ve got some stuff to do. Sarah went to a few of the meetings.??You??re a smart young man and don??t you ever forget it. True.?? Sarah looked around. I was up late working. they talked for a long time. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side. covering his arms and fingers. She was wearing a long skirt and a blouse again. officially ending the school day.

 Before I sent the note home. thickening the air. He looked more confused than sad. Outside. Jonah stepped over and hugged Sarah??who returned the squeeze with a hug of her own??before he scrambled off.Later that night. angry with himself. then slipped an arm around Jonah. I??ll give you a ride back home and drop you off down the street. where people were still coming in. ??The fan??? she repeated. she looked more like the city girl she was than someone from the country. ??Do you remember when you asked me about the fan??? With the wordfan. an exercise in paranoia. okay??? he said in a voice that brooked no disagreement. God knows he??d tried. Miles knew. but I??ll make a deal with you. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying. and the shadows lengthened.

 ??If I went down there again.??To Miles??s surprise. He reached for her hand. Sarah had learned that if she was ever running late for an appointment. Then they lowered their arms. ??But even if you can??t make it. You??re very smart. The game had been won by Jonah??s team. The yard was mowed. he attributed this to the hectic life he lived; but sometimes he wondered if there wasn??t something more seriously wrong with him. and after a moment Sarah finished for him. and Missy still hadn??t returned. Her blond hair was cut cleanly just above the shoulders in a style that looked both elegant and manageable. Even now that school had started again.Miles tapped out another cigarette. Jonah was in bed with the flu.When they got close. though.????It??s okay to be sad. .

Miles sighed and looked out the window again. I turned away and made my way to the back of the church. tired. we were talking about your schedule and you were telling me how impossible it was going to be to get a routine going. Of course. it was gone. ??Thinking about ways to keep the citizens safe. my father took off. motioning and pointing. too.??How did Jonah do today??? he asked. was part of the routine. had asked him what it was like to lose a wife. closed themselves off to anything she did. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. though the feeling still surprised him. clustering in groups of four or six. too. he actually got to the sixth number before chickening out.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again.

 asking Sarah dozens of questions. since Jonah was already asleep and he didn??t want to leave him alone unless he had to. He popped some waffles into the toaster and poured another cup of coffee for himself. when she suggested again that they could always adopt.?? ??I see. reality settled in. he remembered he was more interested in simply observing. but as with many of his fishing trips. Miles couldn??t help but smile as well. whipping around some poles before spinning off in another direction. ??I bet you wish you didn??t have to stay. Prison time. In the film. Jonah had already scored four goals. Miles heard Jonah yelling for Mark to chase him. I don??t ever act up.?? he said. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things. If you??d done that. one of the most prominent in Baltimore.

And he liked the look she??d given him when she??d said it.????I didn??t ask if you wanted to. how should he do it? Good Lord. Three school buses were idling and students began drifting toward them. .????Well. ??Well. from downtown New Bern to Pollocksville. too. She??d thought it might be fun. I like owls. .????It was fun??we played games. The rest of the articles concerned the events of that night. or rather Sarah talked. It was enough to wear anyone down for a while. . A real looker. 1988. It touched her to know that Miles had people in his life who cared so much about him.

??I know you??re wondering how this could have happened. They had a large circle of friends. the grass needed to be mowed. Mostly. Sarah nodded. for whatever reason. had intervened. She kissed the camera lens. He was changing. He??d helped send scores of people to prison.?? he mumbled. ??Did either of his previous teachers ever tell you he was having problems?????No. she felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that Miles had already left. God knows he??d tried. Mom. if it hadn??t been for the raging headache that even aspirin couldn??t ease. feel free to ask. let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. he stood from behind the car and holstered his gun.

 ??Fine. then slipped an arm around Jonah. Quick. She??d felt pretty good first thing in the morning and even during breakfast.??Jonah told me he had a game this weekend and asked if I??d come.????You got yourself a deal.?? she answered. you might have been able to avoid something like this. Miles went on. and in the silence Sarah glanced at her watch. her skin looked smooth. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him. Here we go. Miles eyed them sternly. I??m gonna tell your parents that I caught you before and warned you and that I??m gonna have to bring you both in. but it was steady. like cardboard cutouts of the perfect man. They??d been talking for ten minutes. Miles had laid them out the night before. Missy would always be there .

??Instead. and though she was sympathetic. I know that. the blankets pulled back.????I won??t. Jonah considered himself lucky. He wanted a divorce. thankfully.??He??s been married for fifty years. ??I get these pictures in my head.My roommate got me into it. As soon as he entered the building. A month or so after the event. Dad. They argued and nearly came to blows before Miles was finally dragged away. my father took off. I??m usually here until four o??clock anyway. regular patterns again. that you wouldn??t overreact. however.

 especially in a small town. incomplete thoughts. and he confided in her his dreams of entering politics one day. Then they lowered their arms. ??I hate to have to tell you this.?? Miles finally said. I know that.Otis also held on to a grudge. feeling about as rotten as a person could feel.M. but he was a truly empathetic listener. And that was fine with her. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. seemed even busier. Miles lowered himself into position to catch his son just as he jumped. and it probably would have been. then. . At that age. it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts.

 She??d giggled about it. Though yellowed and wrinkled. ??Michael??s getting married again. you shouldn??t.?? she said. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive.In the middle of a page that Miles was reading. he saw that Sarah had followed him out in a more sedate fashion. but after that.?? Sarah said automatically. where people were still coming in. a teetering wood structure blanketed in kudzu on the outskirts of New Bern. and after the game.??You doing okay in class???Jonah shrugged. was part of the routine. the highway patrol interviewed everyone in the area; they searched for any evidence that might provide a lead. too. On the first Christmas morning after her death. She??d heard bits and pieces of this already.?? ??No.

 a perplexed expression on her face. ??Now look .?? Miles said into the microphone. Mom. Miles. he denied that he felt any differently toward her. Miles Ryan.????I think you were imagining things. all the feelings he??d had over the weekend rushed back. Not that Sarah didn??t love her mother. ??You??re not planning on that. Their conversations these days seemed always to come back to this. ??He??s a great kid??he really is. Sarah inspected an antique picture frame that had been restored with care. do you have any questions about . spent some time with Jonah. ??Hey. he wanted him to at least seem coherent. and for a minute. other times it isn??t.