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His face was so red, the veins in his neck straining and tightening against his skin. He looked like he might explode if I touched him. but I did. "Harley."

Suddenly, he just started to cry, his whole body shaking. I put my arm around his shoulder and he brought his head to mine and sobbed. I kissed his hair and held him tightly.

"Why did I sleep so deeply? Why didn't I hear her walking out?" he moaned through his tears.

"She was probably barefoot, gliding over that floor. Harley. You can't blame yourself for that, no more than Uncle Roy can blame himself"

"We should have been watching her more carefully. She wasn't right in the head. We should have expected something like this."

He sat up, grinding the tears out of his eves with his balled fist. Then he nodded to himself and stood, his face filling with that stoic determination.

"Cmon." he said. "There's no point in trying to run away from it.

I rose and he let me take his hand. We didn't speak. We walked through the forest. Birds fluttered from branch to branch around us like a curious crowd of onlookers wondering about the intruders. When we stepped back into the sunlight, the ambulance was gone. There was no one standing about Harley's house.

"Maybe it was just a dream." I whispered.

"A dream we both had? Not a chance," Harley said walking faster.

"Where are you going?" I asked as we drew closer to his house.

"Up to my room. I guess."

"Why don't you come home with me and have a little breakfast or at least some coffee? Mommy would want you to. Harley."

"Not now," he said. "I've got to be by myself."

"Will you come in a while?"

"I don't know."

"If you don't, I'll come back for you. okay?"

He didn't answer. He walked to the front door and went in. I stood there for a moment and then folded my arms under my breasts and walked with my head down all the way back to my house, feeling so empty inside. I had to keep wondering myself if all this was really happening.

Mommy and Mrs. Geary were in the kitchen. Mommy

was sipping some coffee. They both looked up quickly when I stepped in.

"How is he?" Mommy asked.

I shook my head and started to cry again. Mrs. Geary rushed over to embrace me and hold me.

"Did he tell you what happened?" Mommy asked and I described the events as Harley had related them to me.

"That poor woman," Mommy said. "Where's Daddy?"

"He went with Uncle Roy to the hospital. There are many legal things to look after. Maybe you should have asked Harley to come here, honey." she said.

"I did. He wanted to be alone."

"I'll call him," Mommy promised. but I didn't think Harley would answer the phone and told her so.

When Daddy returned, he looked pale and tired. He knelt down to embrace Mommy, and they held each other for the longest time while I sat waiting. Then he sat and looked at both of us.

"Roy's pretty broken up, blames himself. He says he should have brought her to a doctor, maybe had her in some sort oftherapy."

"She wouldn't have gone to a doctor, and she would have just died away from here. Austin."