Cedar Woman (111 page)

Lena
s
t
o
o
d
in
t
h
e
kitch
e
n
o
f
a
ninet
y
-
y
e
a
r
-
old
co
n
d
o, whi
c
h
s
h
e
h
a
d
m
oved
i
n
to
on
l
y
t
h
e
week
b
ef
o
r
e
.
S
h
e
lean
e
d
aga
i
nst
the
s
t
ove sipping
a glass
o
f
iced
water.
Be
f
o
r
e
her
l
o
o
m
ed
her
latest
p
r
oject
–
an
o
l
d, H
o
o
sier
style
hu
t
c
h
, c
o
m
p
lete with
a w
h
ite
p
o
rcelain
counte
r
t
o
p.
Fo
u
n
d in
a
flea
m
ar
k
et,
Le
n
a
b
ou
gh
t
t
h
e
a
n
t
i
q
u
ity
in
s
p
ite
o
f
t
h
e
fact
t
h
at so
m
eone
had
re
m
oved
t
h
e
f
lo
u
r
bin
a
n
d
p
o
un
d
ed
in
a
m
etal
m
edicine chest
in
its
place.
I
wish
t
h
ey
h
a
d
left
t
h
e
b
in
,
s
h
e
m
u
sed,
Oh,
well.
A
t le
a
st
I
c
a
n
p
u
t
s
p
ice
b
o
ttles
in
t
h
ere
f
o
r
n
o
w,
a
n
d
u
se
t
h
e
t
o
p
a
s
extra co
u
n
ter
s
pac
e
.
Besides,
I cou
l
d
n
’t
h
a
ve aff
o
rd
e
d
it
if
it
had
be
e
n c
o
m
p
lete
,
s
h
e
reasoned.

M
ichael,
as p
r
o
m
ised,
arr
i
v
e
d
in
C
o
l
u
m
bus two we
e
k
s
a
fter
L
e
na, V
i
cki
a
n
d
Reva
ret
u
rn
e
d
f
rom t
h
e
po
w
w
o
w.
By
t
h
en,
L
e
na
was t
e
m
porarily
i
n
stalled
in
h
e
r
par
e
nts
a
nd
g
r
and
m
othe
r
’s
h
o
m
e.
For
n
ow
, t
h
eir
c
o
u
c
h
w
ou
l
d
d
o
well
f
o
r
sleep
i
ng,
immersed
as
s
h
e
w
a
s
in her drea
m
s
of
an
o
t
h
e
r
b
ed
,
so
on
t
o be oc
c
up
ie
d by
b
o
t
h her
an
d h
e
r ha
n
d
s
o
m
e hu
s
ba
n
d
.

Michael
arr
i
v
e
d
in
the
early
even
i
n
g. Lena
r
u
s
h
ed
t
o
t
h
e
d
o
or
o
f her p
a
ren
t
’s
a
n
d
g
r
a
n
d
m
oth
e
r’s
h
o
m
e,
and t
h
r
e
w
h
erself
i
n
to
M
i
c
h
ael’s ar
m
s.
M
ichael chu
c
kled a
n
d held h
e
r
to h
im
,
as
he
q
u
ickly l
o
w
e
r
e
d
a wic
k
er laun
d
ry
b
asket to t
h
e
p
o
rc
h
.

“
Y
o
u
al
m
o
st
m
ade
m
e
drop
m
y
br
i
d
e
pr
i
c
e
!”
he
c
ho
r
tl
ed
w
it
h
g
l
ee, so
h
a
ppy
was
h
e to ho
l
d
her
sm
all,
shapely
f
o
rm
in
his
a
r
m
s aga
i
n.

Lena
t
oo
k
his
ha
n
d
a
nd
l
e
d
him
i
n
to
t
h
e
h
o
m
e.
She
b
r
o
u
g
h
t
him first
to
h
er
fat
h
er,
and
i
n
tro
du
ced
Mic
h
ael
to
Peter.
Le
n
a
t
h
en
g
u
ided

Michael
toward
Mary
and
finally
to
Reva,
to
allow
them
to
greet
each
o
t
h
e
r
after
the
two-week
se
p
arati
o
n.
M
ichael ex
c
u
s
e
d
hi
m
self
and