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Less than twenty-four hours, she said to herself We can leave after breakfast to head and Clara waved her arms so wildly she knocked the rest of her sandwich off the stone wall and into the perennial bed below The answer to an ant’s prayers, except the ones it fell on

"Claire hasn’t changed," said Peter’s mother

"Neither have you, Mother"

Peter tried to keep his voice as civil as hers, and felt he’d achieved that perfect balance of courtesy and contee, so obvious it was i terrasse Julia felt her feet begin to burn in their thin sandals on the hot stones

"Hello, Peter" She closed herfeet and crossed the terrasse, air-kissing her younger brother "You’re looking good"

"So’re you"

Pause

"Nice weather," he said

Julia searched her rapidly e witty and intelligent So to prove she was happy That her life wasn’t the shaht it was Silently she repeated to herself, Peter’s perpetually purple pimple popped It helped

"How’s David?" Peter asked

"Oh, you know hi"

"Even prison? And here you are"

She searched his placid handsome face Was that an insult? She’d been away fro she was out of practice She felt like a long retired parachutist suddenly tossed out of a plane

Four days ago, when she’d arrived, she’d been hurt and exhausted The last s fro David’s trial Feeling betrayed, humiliated and exposed, she’d come back home to heal To this cozy ical, mystical memory Surely they’d take care of her

Sootten why she’d left the

"I all thatIt must have been horrible"