【】dabouttospeak,thenstopped,andherheart</p>

stoppedrightalonghit.shedreraighteranddidnt</p>

lookaotheredto</p>

kh.</p>

sothingcrossedhisfacethen,andshekneadeheri.e</p>

point.hisvoiceorereassuring.”no,hope,sheisnt</p>

dead.ioyouaboutthat.deal”shenodded,</p>

breathingagain.”anoing.”helooked</p>

atthecat.”sothisisthethingthatshothefrontdoorone</p>

dayallbittenandbruised”hopefihetabbysear.”the</p>

biteshealed.”</p>

”gs</p>

actsaaidshedidntknoouldsurvivedriving</p>

offacliff.”</p>

”yourtherdidntdriveoffthecliff.sheeoneelse,</p>

andshedidsurvive,sosaaswrong.”</p>

”isherleginacast””uhhuh.”</p>

”heal””sure.brokenlegsaledto</p>

ntradicthibutshekerthanhedidonthis.</p>

”notaladage.</p>

thatdbea.shedhavetroublehthehills.”those</p>

hillsantthehhopeand</p>

santha.hopehadonefavoritespot.santhahadanother.but</p>

rahelhaddozens.liketheeucalyptusgrove.rachelsaid</p>

thatapersondidnthavetobesiellof</p>

eucalyptus.</p>

hopeuldntuntthenuerofhoursshehadsatinthatgroveh</p>

herther,sllingthatsll,listeningtothedistaof</p>

dunssheep,thinkingaboutthingsthatneededhealing.hope</p>

usuallythoughtaboutguinevere.andaboutjack.shewonderedif</p>

racheldid.</p>

”yeonthat.”hope</p>

issedeveryoneofher</p>

birthdaysforthelasteightyears,andonlysixofthosehade</p>

afterthedivorce.hehadprosedheherethosefirsttwo</p>

tis,thenhadbeenoutoftoedidnt</p>

tterthathecalledandapologizedandcelebratedhherlaterhe</p>

hadbrokenaprose.</p>

santhasaidheanthasaid</p>

thatrachelesretrusthythanjack.</p>

only,rachelthere.</p>

”thisesfrohedoctor,”jasisted.”herlegwillheal.”</p>

hopelooothedguineveresruff,andartingto</p>

silentlyrepeattheantraanthasvoice</p>

cafrohedoor.</p>

”here”sheaskedjack.</p>

helookedupand,foranute,ddledbyfatigueandhought</p>

hesalythehairlondbutnolongerasfineas</p>

hopes,was</p>

partlythefigure,redefinedeveninthesixehehadseen</p>

herlast.behatshirtsilartotheohatsonhope,</p>

santhastoodandassubtlycurvedasherther.butit</p>

hevoihedit,theeaution,evenhurt,thathe</p>

hadheardinrachelontheirlastnighttogetherndsuddenlyhewas</p>

bathatnight,sthroughtheclosetforties</p>

topackthedoor.</p>

heuldseeherclearasday,hhertousledblondhairale</p>

curves.shehadjustleftthestudiotheysharedoopfloorof</p>