Love Lessons (3 page)

Jane p
ulled Elena’s hand from her trousers and wrapped her tightly in her arms, flesh against flesh, shaking hard, as tears streamed silently down her face.

“How did you know?” she breathed roughly, “How did you know?”

Elena smoothed Jane’s hair from her brow
over and over.  “Shh…,” she comforted Jane gently, “I see you, my love.  Your Ellie sees you, beautiful boy.”

The name had been Jane’s secret since she was four years old.  She had never told anyone about it.

As a child, Jane had found certain things e
asier to do if she called herself “John” instead of Jane.  It was her magic word.  When Jane was afraid in the dark, creaking house late at night while her parents slept, John was brave.  Her little sister would crawl into bed with Jane after nightmares o
f
her own and John would comfort her.  Later, on the ranch, Jane would use the name when the boys dared her to keep up with them in the kinds of work they were sure no girl could do.  Jane invoked John and learned to hold the branding iron to a poor colt’s
flank as it burned.  She called herself John when she took her turn to sit awake at night by the fire, shotgun across her lap, watching for coyotes and bobcats.

She had tried to forget it since coming to Boston, imagining it as something to be put away with childhood, like a beloved toy.

But Elena had found it.  She had whispered it like a sorceress and had transformed Jane into herself.  Elena had washed it of s
hame and set it glowing like a jewel.

Elena knew her all right. And she knew Elena.