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

W

They both arrived at Elgin’s an hour later. Ash eyed her full
arms and helped her shift things onto the table.
“Was this really necessary?” he asked.
“Shush.”
“How much did it cost?” Alice had left them a hundred
dollars after cashing the check from Roger.

“It doesn’t matter.” She would have easily dropped twice
as much.
Then she hovered, her eye on Elgin’s closed door. Didn’t the
man ever have to use the bathroom? She moved all his plants,
dusted and put them back. Out of boredom, she made pancakes
from scratch and pressured Ash into eating at least four of them.
Near noon, a creak in the hallway brought her running, ADVANCE READING COPY

socks sliding on the floor. Elgin, more wrinkle than man,
stepped toward the bathroom door.
“Elgin.” She grabbed his elbow, making him jump, and
felt a pang of guilt at possibly triggering a heart attack. “Elgin,
come see.”
She dragged him down the hall, his skin papery under
her fingers. Shoving him near the table, she stopped behind
him and pointed over his shoulder.
He stared blankly at the green leaves, the curve of colored

petals, the plastic cellophane shucked aside. “What’s this?”
he said, sounding a little more awake now.
“These are daffodils, and azaleas, and a tea rose plant.”
She stepped around him to point, in case her explanation

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