One Night Only (139 page)

Rut
h
reste
d
he
r
hea
d
farthe
r
bac
k
an
d
stare
d
u
p
a
t
the
ceiling
.
Sh
e
breathe
d
i
n
an
d
ou
t
i
n
a
bi
d
t
o
contro
l
her emotions
.
Sh
e
wante
d
he
r
mothe
r
s
o
badl
y
.
Sh
e
wanted
someon
e
t
o
tel
l
he
r
everythin
g
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
b
e
oka
y
,
she
wante
d
t
o
sa
y
sh
e
wa
s
sorr
y
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
to
o
lat
e
fo
r
al
l
that no
w
.
Sh
e
ha
d
don
e
s
o
muc
h
damage
.
Sh
e
ha
d
hur
t
too man
y
people
.
Poll
y
an
d
T
es
s
migh
t
hav
e
forgive
n
he
r
and
sh
e
wa
s
s
o
gratefu
l
fo
r
that
.
Bu
t
he
r
mother
?
No
.
Her mothe
r
neve
r
would
.

“
Y
o
u
awake
?
Gina?
”
sh
e
whispere
d
a
littl
e
loude
r
than
sh
e
shoul
d
have
,
bu
t
sh
e
couldn
’
t
li
e
ther
e
al
l
alon
e
for muc
h
longe
r
.
I
t
ha
d
t
o
b
e
a
t
leas
t
nin
e
o’clock
.
They
woul
d
nee
d
t
o
b
e
havin
g
breakfas
t
soon
.
W
ell
,
the
y
had planne
d
t
o
hav
e
breakfast
,
rain
,
hai
l
o
r
shin
e
bu
t
o
f
course tha
t
wa
s
hangove
r
-dependen
t
an
d
Rut
h
wa
s
a
fe
w
hours ahea
d
o
f
the
m
i
n
th
e
slee
p
department
.

Gin
a
mumble
d
something
.
I
t
sounde
d
lik
e
“Marco” bu
t
Rut
h
couldn
’
t
b
e
sure
.
Sh
e
picke
d
u
p
he
r
phon
e
from th
e
bedsid
e
locke
r
an
d
texte
d
Poll
y
.
Sh
e
reall
y
couldn
’
t
lie
ther
e
al
l
alon
e
fo
r
an
y
longe
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
wid
e
awak
e
and
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
d
o
something
.

“
U
UP?
”
sh
e
wrote
.
Sh
e
woul
d
alway
s
tex
t
i
n
capital letter
s
whic
h
drov
e
he
r
childre
n
mental
.
Remembering tha
t
brough
t
a
smil
e
t
o
he
r
face
.
The
y
wer
e
grea
t
kids.
The
y
ha
d
thei
r
moments
,
bu
t
wh
o
didn
’
t
?

He
r
phon
e
bleepe
d
bac
k
almos
t
straigh
t
awa
y
.
Polly
wa
s
obviousl
y
a
champio
n
‘texte
r
backer’
.
Rut
h
loved
peopl
e
wh
o
texte
d
bac
k
straigh
t
awa
y
.

“Almost
.
Breakfas
t
i
n
20
?
Nee
d
showe
r
.
Honking.” “
SEE
U
THE
N!!!
”
wrot
e
Ruth
,
feelin
g
bette
r
alread
y
.

Sh
e
use
d
exclamatio
n
mark
s
a
lo
t
whe
n
textin
g
to
o
which Melani
e
sai
d
wa
s
‘s
o
uncool’
.
Knowin
g
thi
s
mad
e
he
r
use
the
m
eve
n
more
.

Sh
e
sa
t
u
p
o
n
th
e
be
d
an
d
trie
d
t
o
muste
r
u
p
the strengt
h
t
o
wal
k
acros
s
th
e
roo
m
an
d
pul
l
th
e
curtains
.

Whe
n
sh
e
did
,
th
e
mornin
g
sunligh
t
thre
w
a
haz
y
beam acros
s
th
e
roo
m
an
d
Gin
a
stirred
.

“Sorry!
”
whispere
d
Ruth
.
“
W
e’r
e
goin
g
fo
r
breakfast i
n
twent
y
.
Y
o
u
coming?
”

Gin
a
le
t
ou
t a
groa
n
an
d
the
n
sh
e
kicke
d
th
e
cover
s
off
an
d
la
y
still
,
s
o
stil
l
tha
t
Rut
h
wa
s
sur
e
somethin
g
strange ha
d
happene
d
t
o
he
r
mid-groan
.

Th
e
dee
p
breat
h
tha
t
followe
d
an
d
th
e
sudde
n
spring u
p
i
n
th
e
be
d
assure
d
he
r
tha
t
Gin
a
wa
s
jus
t
fine
.