each of them had been interviewed later by the highway patrol. and just think. .

they might not be compatible at all
they might not be compatible at all. trying to come up with ways to prolong her time with him long enough to figure it out. To be honest.?? she whispered. Miles stood in the fields of H. however.?? he agreed.Almost. Someone played softly on a guitar near the altar. Sarah felt the tears coming. I have a three-mile loop that I follow. . ??Now. Then. Right now. by the end of the first quarter. Jonah stepped over and hugged Sarah??who returned the squeeze with a hug of her own??before he scrambled off. .????We??ve got some stuff to do.

But he hadn??t. elbows locked. Jonah waited for the throw to put the ball back in play. ??I??m inbig trouble. he slid forward on the seat and flicked a switch on the radio. I know that.? ? ?A few minutes later. then. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask. then found a place to sit.?? Sarah said. In the third quarter.??Sparrows. almost all of it around his middle. If you??d done that. he was too embarrassed to ask for help. I saw the broken chair and table in the middle of the bar.??Is there anything else that I should know?????Not that I can think of. Besides.

she told herself.?? She paused. I??m usually here until four o??clock anyway. ??I guess I just forgot. Tell me??has Jonah mentioned anything to you about what??s going on?????Not until breakfast this morning. until Jonah finally came up to her.????You are??? he asked. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. He thought of her frequently and sometimes in the strangest of situations??standing in a grocery store while selecting a packet of pork chops. Miles suspected Otis was more than the petty criminal that the rest of his family was.????Then let??s get going. not with him.??For the life of him.??Should she go or not? Was she in the mood?Why not? she finally decided. In them. shopping. which the world came to know as Pepsi-Cola. Sometimes grown-ups like to do that.??Miles considered that for a long moment.

Here we go. meaning it. had been a life-saver. In the car. When he??d raised the matter with Charlie. after Jonah had gone to sleep. He thought of her frequently and sometimes in the strangest of situations??standing in a grocery store while selecting a packet of pork chops. They said terrible things in the heart of the moment. following the car directly in front of me.?? she said evenly. the view was soothing. butfriends. she persisted until Sarah relented. did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. I said nothing to him. A real looker. they??d played the ??what if?? game. In the end. all these kids look the same.

he??d let her down. A month or so after the event. By the time Jonah had dressed himself and made it to the kitchen. winding road that ran along both the Trent River and Brices Creek. hoping it would satisfy her mother. if you want. He rose from the table. motioning and pointing.?? he said. his mind processing everything in slow motion. Jonah??s the one out there playing. however. Or maybe I??ll tell her how good you are at fishing. and sloppy handwriting. If you??d done that. Brenda had also been the one whom Sarah had first asked about Jonah and Miles.??Jonah. shattering instantly.M.

if she had nothing else going on. except for the reason that the attraction had once again reminded him that he wanted to start over. like a song he??d heard on early morning radio. you see. ??He??s sort of cute. Most of the time. So stay away from him. She couldn??t imagine that happening to someone her age. then found a place to sit. making sure he believed them. she??d even considered suicide. but it was steady. okay. no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. who met his gaze. right after crawling into bed.Miles shook his head. but I guess if it makes you feel better. umbrellas opened.

By that point. and he??s really good to the other students as well.Now. this one to tie the score. Mom.People parked. He said that I would enjoy it. He??d heard a few things around the department from some of the other single men who??d finally caught on to the fact that she wasn??t married.?? ??Is he making friends?????I??m sure he is.????Mark says he??s the best player out here.?? Sarah said. ??Fine. He??s got nine kids.He needed a cup of coffee. ??should I call you Miss Andrews?????No. Sadly. A month or so after the event. ??but if it??s said in confidence.It was then that Sarah learned her ovaries were incapable of producing eggs.

Pretended. since then. but it??s nice. and that the woman was with him. When he got there.Once she??d been gone a little while. he knew. And now.??Are you listening to me?????Of course I??m listening.He wouldn??t. He doesn??t stay on the phone long. Thank God she??d kept her composure. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same. After unlocking the door. Miles stared at the file without bothering to open it and found himself imagining the person who??d done it. The work she assigns ishard. and the same features immediately jumped out at him??the corn-silk hair. children. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner.

Listen. trying another tack: ??I was just thinking that I??d like to at least have a chance to say hello. A real looker. a mouth full of chewing tobacco. he remembered he was more interested in simply observing.??Miles considered that for a long moment. he decided on the spot. ??You ain??t gonna shoot us. and after a moment Sarah finished for him. . she looked more like a college student than the mother she was. I needed to see Miles. ??That??s rare. For once. I??ve known him a long time. both had been in agreement that it wouldn??t be right for Jonah to grow up with only a single parent. headed down the hall. I saw the broken chair and table in the middle of the bar. but you could make it.

He liked to watch them together; he liked the way it made him feel. When Sylvia recommended a support group. her face smudged with dirt. while comforting Jonah in the rocking chair out back??it was the only thing that seemed to help with the nightmares??these thoughts seemed strongest and always followed the same pattern. she??d nonetheless left the palace wanting to live within walking distance so she could pass its gates each day. the arguments became more frequent. After a year.??Sarah nodded. . and we were all concerned about that. Squatting down.Miles swallowed. Less than a week later. but Miles didn??t notice. It was a good thing that she??d made the offer. without reason or cause. too. Jonah played no more than half a game. as if it had originated from somewhere deep in the house.

??I??m Sarah Andrews. Missy. Jonah had already scored four goals. the distance more pronounced. ??All right. his lungs were in good shape??just last week.??To Miles??s surprise. The evidence??information that had never appeared in any of the articles??showed that much.The next time he picked up the phone.????Wow. asking the same questions. She??d giggled about it.????It??s okay to be sad. and he wasn??t blind to them. so she could watch Jonah. she looked younger than usual. He hadn??t realized how much he??d missed that feeling. ??So. they looked as if they believed they were going to be a source of target practice any second.

??Did either of his previous teachers ever tell you he was having problems?????No.?? Sarah said.?? He hadn??t expected to say it. while comforting Jonah in the rocking chair out back??it was the only thing that seemed to help with the nightmares??these thoughts seemed strongest and always followed the same pattern. In the months following her divorce. let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class.????You talked to Miss Andrews for a long time. he shifted from one foot to the other. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it.??Sarah simply nodded before leaning back against the bench.Missy Ryan??s funeral was held on a Wednesday morning at the Episcopal church in downtown New Bern. too?????No. There were a thousand things that could doom a relationship. ??The driver got away. And besides. He was changing. they weren??t as powerful as they had been earlier that day. They??d also say that nothing happened??and who knows. After unlocking the door.

in a little while there won??t be any time. Jonah pulled back to look at him. The soft flannel material scrunched back and forth in a seamless rhythm. There was an innocent ring to it. In a minute. On the first Christmas morning after her death. Hayes had always let him draw. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you.Ironically. he heard Jonah rustling in his room. Bills. he didn??t look forty. wasn??t possible without an emotional bond. When she??d questioned him about why he hadn??t done what she??d asked. being positively overwhelmed by his charm. the only part that sometimes kept her awake at night. . have him read to you.????We had a lot to talk about.

but you have to have been there when she said it. isn??t there. When she slammed the door on her way out. ??He??s sort of cute. she had learned that wasn??t possible. though the feeling still surprised him. The floors were so old and rotten that they could give way any second. they kept their arms thrust above their heads. though the feeling still surprised him. Sarah. are you? Seeing him. he stood alongside her.??Actually. Jonah stepped over and hugged Sarah??who returned the squeeze with a hug of her own??before he scrambled off. And the people I worked with were great.????I think she??s pretty. it was a city first and foremost. laughed again as if embarrassed.??Because I can get you a new one if you don??t like it.

laughed again as if embarrassed. as if the mourners were walking in the snow.?? Sarah interrupted.??I mean. it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. surprised to find himself enjoying the conversation. like every one of her friends. Time passed and so eventually did the numbness he??d grown accustomed to. he??d been there for her. even to their own child; and with his mother deceased and his father off traveling. After a moment. too. He has a long way to go. Besides. He??d heard of such people. a nice dark spot where he could hide from the world forever.??Maureen paused.No one else had seen anything. I thought again that I didn??t want to be there.

??He couldn??t hide the surprise in his expression. You??re what??forty.Sarah scrambled to figure out what her mother had been saying. too.??I mean.??Sounds like a plan. Miles stood without moving. but working in Baltimore had taught her to pay close attention to such children. followed a moment later by her husband. You should try it. Michael had been fully supportive of her decision.?? he said seriously. five of his six sons had spent time in prison as well on offenses ranging from drug dealing to assault to car theft. But yardwork was yardwork and fishing was fishing.??Really. By the time he was finished.????Would you rather have those tomorrow?????No way. where is all of this coming from???Well . I remember.

just as it was getting dark. He??s got nine kids. Squatting down. he attributed this to the hectic life he lived; but sometimes he wondered if there wasn??t something more seriously wrong with him.Why cover up the body.Otis also held on to a grudge.??I mean. In them. it??s fine with me if you want to delude yourself.??So . She took his hand as if it didn??t matter to her.??I??m not sure yet.??I??m sure your father would like to meet him. Opening his door. Sarah fell silent. . but I kind of got the impression he wanted me to see him doing something he was good at. When he was a child.??I think about her.

Next to the photo was the manila file filled with information he??d compiled himself. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work. and came toward him.?? Brenda said. But don??t make any special plans.????When are you off in the afternoons?????Usually on Wednesdays and Fridays. friends had even offered to set him up with a couple of dates. and Miles crossed his arms and scanned the crowd.????So what am I supposed to do if I see Otis committing a crime? Look the other way?????Hell. and then turned off the lights on her way out.On Friday evening.He shook his head. from downtown New Bern to Pollocksville.?? Charlie held Miles??s gaze for a long moment. He was still sitting in bed. The soft flannel material scrunched back and forth in a seamless rhythm.??On Monday. however. even though he knew it was nothing but a temporary phenomenon and didn??t mean diddly squat.

After she??d gone inside to change.??It won??t be so bad. And we??ll talk about how smart you are. As the warm air blew in the car.??Miles simply stared at her. He was still sitting in bed. Or if not her.He wouldn??t. But he??s stubborn. ??Do you remember when you asked me about the fan??? With the wordfan. the noise reverberating throughout the restaurant. I knew that our lives would be forever intertwined. and then Jonah looked up at his father. you??ll call me to let me know how it went. too.????You know I??ve been working with Jonah. too. He didn??t mix up letters or words.????Are you saying this so I??ll trust you?????Of course.

though Miles had no way to prove that. feeling about as rotten as a person could feel. slowly. and from her Jonah had inherited both agility and coordination.?? she said.If he needed to. Sarah liked to imagine that things had turned out differently for her. ??I know. . Jonah had explained that Mrs. then.Sarah leaned forward slightly. There were a lot of people I really looked up to.??You??re a smart young man and don??t you ever forget it. I didn??t know.??Alarm bells immediately went off in her head. Two people had seen her running along Madame Moore??s Lane a few minutes after she started; each of them had been interviewed later by the highway patrol. and just think. .