Page 246 - My FlipBook

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

W

The last weekend in March, they all pitched in to help
move Roger’s stuff out of the basement. Greta shrank
from it, the residue of Patty all over everything. She
considered tacking a Free Stuff sign on it and dumping it
at the end of the driveway. Ash offered to help load the
moving van as long as Roger wasn’t there, so Roger waited

inside the van with the radio on. Elgin stood on the front
path to supervise, saying things like “lift from the knees”
as Ash and Nate hoisted mattresses into the back of the
van. Greta and Alice packed the contents of closets and
drawers into boxes, starting with the bedrooms. Chased
away spiders.
They moved on to the kitchen as Ash and Nate came ADVANCE READING COPY

in for a drink of water, breathless and sweaty. Tracking
mud across the hardwood. Alice leaned against the oven
door, then did a double take. “Aw, look at this itty-bitty…”
She swung the door open and bent down, peering inside.
“How the heck did you guys fit anything inside this?”
“Oh, it served its purpose.” Ash smiled at Greta. He
passed by Alice to get a refill from the sink and nudged her
hip, tipping her toward the open oven. “Careful now. Don’t
fall in.”

Alice swatted his leg and straightened. “Very funny.”
Greta tapped on Roger’s window when they’d finished.
“All done.” His work buddies were coming to help unload
at the new house.

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