Page 174 - My FlipBook

L IS A J. L A W R E N C E

“So how’d it go?” Ash asked, without turning his head.
Greta shook her head. “Not well.”
Now Ash craned his neck to look at her. “Did she come
alone?”
“Yes.” Greta let it sit for a minute. “She just didn’t believe
me.”
Ash nodded, like he wasn’t surprised. “You came home.
Now what?”

“Ash, can I just…have a day?” Greta said. He didn’t
respond. “I have no idea what happens next for either of us.
I need a day, maybe even two.”
Ash lay still. After a few minutes Greta wondered if he’d
fallen asleep. She felt drowsy herself, heat pumping through
the air vents and sunshine beaming through the window
onto her skin. The first truly quiet moment in months. They ADVANCE READING COPY

had walked, run, driven, scrubbed, shouted, fought, shov-
eled, worried and cried. Today they lay on unmade beds in
Elgin’s guest room, uncomfortably warm for Edmonton in
February. At that moment Greta refused to turn in circles
in the maze. She wanted to sit in the shade of its walls and
have no idea which direction to take. To not even care.
For one day. She filled her lungs and belly with air and
released it slowly, again and again.
“Ash?”

“Hmm.”
“Can I see the three pictures?”
Silence. Then, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”

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