Blood From a Stone (217 page)

G
od,
w
hat
he
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
g
i
v
e
t
o
ha
v
e
her
he
r
e bes
i
de h
i
m
ri
g
ht
no
w
.
T
o
f
eel
her
a
r
m
s
a
r
ound
h
i
s
neck a
g
a
i
n.
T
o
see her
s
m
il
e,
and
e
v
en
t
o
g
et
a
t
ho
r
ou
g
h
sco
l
d
i
ng
fr
om
t
he
‘
school
m
a
r
m
’
s
i
de of
he
r
.

I
n
h
i
s
past
he
’
d
ha
v
e
qu
i
c
k
l
y
m
o
v
ed
o
n
,
and
been
i
n
t
he
ea
g
er
co
m
pany
of
t
he
w
a
itr
ess
t
o
he
l
p
h
i
m
f
o
r
g
et
.
B
ut so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
had
chan
g
ed
i
ns
i
de
of
h
i
m
t
h
i
s
past
w
ee
k
,
be
y
ond e
v
en
h
i
s
o
w
n
unde
r
s
t
and
i
n
g
.
I
t
w
as
l
o
v
e
a
lri
g
h
t
…but
a
l
so a deeper
sense
of
r
espons
i
b
ilit
y
f
or
h
i
s
ac
ti
ons
t
han
he
‘
d
e
v
er
k
no
w
n or
i
m
a
g
i
ned.

H
e
pu
ll
ed
out
h
i
s
ce
ll
,
l
on
g
i
ng
t
o d
i
al
her
nu
m
ber
and hear
her
v
o
i
ce,
e
v
en
f
or
a
m
o
m
en
t
.
B
ut
he
k
new
t
hat
she d
i
dn
’
t
w
ant
t
o ha
v
e an
y
t
h
i
ng
t
o do
w
it
h h
i
m
.

H
e
w
as
about
t
o
put
i
t
back
i
n
h
i
s
po
c
k
et
w
hen he no
ti
ced
t
he
r
e
w
as
a
m
essa
g
e.
H
e
qu
i
c
k
l
y
li
s
t
ened
w
ei
g
h
i
ng
w
hat
t
o
do.
S
he
’
d
apo
l
o
g
i
z
ed.
S
he
w
an
t
ed
t
o
see
h
i
m
a
g
a
i
n.
H
e
s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o
d
i
al
her
nu
m
ber
and
t
hen
s
t
opped
h
i
m
s
e
lf
…
w
as
i
t
t
he
ri
g
ht
t
h
i
ng
t
o do?

T
he
r
e
w
as
no
be
tt
er
ti
m
e
t
han
now
t
o
j
ust
w
a
l
k a
w
ay and
l
et
her
g
o.
T
o
j
ust
a
ll
ow
her
t
o
t
h
i
nk
of
h
i
m
a
s
a
j
e
r
k
w
ho b
r
o
k
e
her
hea
rt
…
t
o
l
et
her
ha
t
e
h
i
m
and
m
o
v
e
on
w
i
t
h
her
lif
e so
she
m
i
g
ht
ha
v
e
a
shot
at
fi
nd
i
ng
a
n
i
ce
g
uy
w
ho
she
cou
l
d se
ttl
e
do
w
n
w
it
h
and
en
j
oy
t
he
r
est
of
her
ti
m
e he
r
e on ea
rt
h.
A
l
l
t
he
t
h
i
n
g
s
he cou
l
d ne
v
er
g
i
v
e he
r
.

A
nd
y
e
t
…he
had
t
o
w
onder
i
f
i
t
w
ou
l
d
b
e
so
w
r
ong
t
o at
l
east
o
ff
er
her
t
he
tr
u
t
h  and  an  exp
l
ana
ti
on  be
f
o
r
e
he
w
a
l
k
ed a
w
a
y
.

H
e
s
i
g
hed
hea
v
il
y
.
C
ho
i
ces.
H
e
w
as about
t
o
m
a
k
e ano
t
her
one of
t
hose and he hoped
i
t
w
as
t
he
ri
g
ht
one.

H
e
put
h
i
s
phone
back
i
n
h
i
s
poc
k
e
t
,
g
u
l
ped
do
w
n
t
he
r
est
of  h
i
s  beer  and 
fi
n
i
shed  o
f
f 
t
he 
r
e
m
a
i
nder  of
h
i
s sand
w
i
ch.
H
e s
t
ood up and s
li
pped on h
i
s
j
ac
k
e
t
,
l
e
f
t
enou
g
h
m
oney on
t
he
t
ab
l
e
t
o
co
v
er
h
i
s
b
il
l
and
a
g
ene
r
ous
ti
p,
and
w
a
l
k
ed
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he doo
r
.