第90节

    【】gain.hepifillingasingleredwood

    trunk,ajules,andbodiesnotverydifferentfrohe

    juleonthehilliographthatlayfacedohels

    draheaded.ohyeah,exhaustiondid

    that,butthereoretoit.craedinapitkholehhis

    daughters,orethanafeudandthesllofwood

    andrainats,hehadrecapturedsothihoughtforever

    lost.

    itrendingthought.arachelknehe

    threeoftheere.

    sheuldnt,ofurse,unlesssheabove,

    butherefused,absolutelyrefused,tobuyintothat.no.shewas

    stillinaa,ahephoneinhispocketrangtosayshe

    hadpossiblyknoheywere.hewas

    fantasizingagain.butboy,hefeelingreal.

    itstayedreal.rachelheytraipsedbackthrough

    theselvesoff.shetookashower

    atchedhis,helpedhiakehot

    goodnightand

    follointothebedroo

    heshookoffthefantasybedintobed,butitretuedina

    flash.hesatupandstaredintothedark.hethoughtabouthoired

    hehisch.

    ithirty.hehadasuddeodrivebacktothe

    hospital.

    hecalledthereinsteadandoldthatrachelhadntwoken.

    helaydoforthehospital,lay

    doe.hecalledthehospital.

    helaydoupaheinued,

    peacefuland,restorative.ait,feltrachel.

    uedathethedoor.shedidnt

    sayanything,justhungontheknobandlookedathi

    ”areyousensingthings”heasked.

    shenodded.

    ”,too.”heranhishandsthroughhishair.soybetheyh

    goihingsochthatitbecarealintheir

    nds.

    theonlythinghekhebeabletofall

    backtosleep.”akeadrive”hopeedsideo

    thebackseat.santha,hahedoor

    andafisttoher.hereyeslosed.

    jackkeptbothhandsohegas.

    therainhadsloinutespast

    sunriseonagrayday.traffioonespoke.

    jaalplace

    intheparkinglot,thenbackedoutandpickedanotherspot.theold

    onehadntight.helookedatthegirls,daring

    theoask.herdid.

    astheyleftthe,

    buthedidnthavethepatieofortheelevator.hefoundthe

    stairsandtookthee,hegirlstrottedclose

    behind.theysorachelsfloor,strodequicklydohehall,

    aoherroondsohelphidespiteallcautionary

    thoughts,heexpectedtoseerachelproppedhigher,hhereyesopen

    a,andasleintheworks.

    hestoppedjustiheroosantha,hopeonhis

    right.rachelelittlebitopenthat

    theyhadbeenthenightbefore.

    ”hopecalled.

    santha”noge”jackswallowed.hisbodydrained

    ofenergyalikerubber.

    disappointntlaythihisthroat.

    heapproachedthebed.sittingbyrachelship,heputanarn

    eithersideaveherthelightest,softestkissonthe

    uth.

    ”happened,daddy”hopeasked.

    ”idontknoourselvesh

    ing.

    ””thisisgettingold,”santhaplained.

    heletoutabreath,thenspokehangryforce.”youretoyingh

    us,rathe

    bedandtothesendslaterhethebed,

    arstraddlingrachelagain.

    thistihestared.helookedatherlongandhard,o

    openthosebarelyopeneyes.herlipsauve,

    herhairgold.therestofherhanpale,andthin.

    hentiostare.sothinghere.hereyeswere

    dartingaround.hesaespot

    e,a

    tinyfrown.

    hepouredhielfintoitthisti,diggingdeep,cursingherfor

    punishingthe,willingherfinally,

    finally,finallyahegirlscall,buthedidnt

    respond.everythinghehadusedonrachel.

    anotherfroe.hereyesbeganvingreslohis

    breathhegirlsspoke.againheignored

    it.

    eon,rachel,eon,eon,rachel.

    herlidsfluttered.theyshut,thenpressedtogether.slohey

    rose.

    jackbehindhithere

    all.rachelseyesstayedonhisface,stayedthereso

    longthathehalffearedsheatose.thenhereyesbroke

    froisandvedpasttohope.

    ”y”hopecried.

    hereyesshiftedtosantha,igod.”when

    thoseeyesretuedtohitheyovedher

    fingersintoaloosefistbinside.puzzledeyesto

    hope,tosantha,andba.jackothinkshe

    ghthaveaesiailed.ina

    voicethatveryrachel,sheasked,”sdoing”he

    
    huggingrachel,talkingandlaughingatthesati,andthoughjack

    feltthesaexuberaheydidaohugher,too,hegave

    theoothisostiortantthing,afterall,racheland

    hergirls.shehanothershoutof

    relief,helefttotellthedoctorsthenews.

    katherineedupright,e.

    ”wideawake”sheasked.

    ”bering””shesnfusedabout

    happenedanddayitis,andshesak,

    thatisthebestneevebeenby””hesonhisway.”

    ”soa,”shesaidandhurriedintotheshowasonlywhenshe

    thatshereeredjacks

    dilea.she.sheplaellrachelthat.

    shetuedofftheshofillthe

    rooirror,sherubbedskincrealloverher

    ...