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months. She pretty much lived for summer. The outside of the

brownstone looked the same as it always did. It was like most

of the other brownstones in the city. Distinguished and

dignified architecture. After the peace of Claire’s home, the

rush of Brooklyn surrounded Haley, making it hard to breathe.

She waved off Snake, who looked almost sad to be going.

He’d dropped her bag at the front step, and she’d insisted that

she was fine to walk in by herself. She’d had to pull out her

keys to prove to him that she had them.

He was probably going to circle the block a few times just

to make sure she’d gotten in alright. He was overbearing like

that. She’d thought about how much she disliked it so many

times. God help her, she was going to miss him. She was

going to miss Jean, who she’d said a tearful goodbye to that

morning. She was going to miss Jenny, who ghosted around

Claire’s property, unseen for the most part, but like Snake,

always watching.

It went without saying that she would miss Claire. Not just

miss her. She felt like she’d been ripped from something

essential, and the pain was enormous. Had she made a mistake

with Claire? It didn’t feel like a mistake, but she was here, not

with her. Claire had let her go, not because she wanted to, but

because she felt like she had to. It didn’t matter that they were

perfect for each other. That nothing had ever felt so right as

when they were together.

Haley shouldered her bag and jangled the keys to let her in

through the front door. She dumped the duffel in the hall, her

heart heavier than the bag would ever be.

It wasn’t a mistake. She couldn’t even begin to measure

their time like that.