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Annie had planned to heat up chicken soup on her hot plate and eat her way through most of a loaf of sourdough bread, but it seemed rude to ignore the invitation, so she dug hand soap out of the WalMart plastic bag and washed her hands in cold water, wiping them dry on her pants.

She crossed the yard slowly, pausing for a moment at the back door just in time to hear Ashley say, “Like a stretcher with legs and a sleeping bag?”

Helen said, “Hmm.”

Enchiladas covered with cheese and sour cream were a pleasant surprise, and they were not too spicy for her taste. She ate two while she listened to Kevin complain about having to learn cursive and Ashley talk about some girl named Kerry who had a purple pen even though they were all still supposed to use pencil in class.

“What are you taking?” Helen asked. It took Annie a moment to realize she was being addressed. She looked up and smiled nervously.

“Uh, only three classes. Criminal Law, Legal Research, and something called Crime Control Policy.” She shook her head. “I may be in over my head.”

“Not taking my class, I see,” Helen said dryly.

“Why, what are you teaching?” Annie had followed the university guidelines for first-year grad students when choosing her classes. She didn’t have a choice when it came to core classes, so rather than seriously overload her quarter, she’d stuck with the recommended three classes.

“Just two this quarter, on child welfare,” she said. “Speaking of which, where’s the baby monitor? Kevin?”

“It’s right there.” Ashley pointed at the counter where a thick antenna was sticking up from behind a bowl of fruit. Helen pushed her chair back and picked it up, holding it to her ear.

“He’s fine. We can all hear him when he wakes up without that,” Ashley said. “He’s the loudest baby ever.”

“Thank you for your opinion, Ash,” Helen said. “You two clear your plates and go watch TV until it’s time to brush your teeth.”

“You don’t have to feed me,” Annie said when the kids were gone. “I mean, thank you. But I don’t expect it.”

“There’s no kitchen out there, no hot water, and it’s not furnished. The very least I can do is feed you.”

It was a fair point, and it wasn’t like Annie was in a position to turn down a free meal, so she thanked Helen again.

“Which reminds me. I called about getting someone to look at the water heater out there, but they can’t come out until next week. It’ll be inconvenient, but you’ll have to come in the house to use the shower.”

Annie nodded. That was going to be awkward.

“I’m not going to subject you to the kids’ bathroom. It’s bigger, but it’s always a disaster. Use the one in my room. And you can do your laundry here too, of course. The laundry room is just down the hall. And you know you can always use the kitchen. The key I gave you opens the front and back doors of the house, so you don’t have to worry about creeping around. You can just come in whenever you need to.”

“I wasn’t creeping,” Annie said.

“No?”

“I was respecting your space.”

“Yeah, okay,” Helen said with a small smile. “When is your first class?”

“Ten.”

“We’ll all be out of here by eight thirty, so you can shower in the morning. Will that work for you?” Helen asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Annie said. “Thank you.”

Helen laughed. “You’re welcome.”

* * *

It was still light out, so Annie decided to go for a walk around the block. Her parents always went for a walk after dinner in the summers, and she enjoyed it too. She put on her white sneakers and a light sweater—even though it was still a little warm—and let herself out through the gate into the alley, her purse slung over her shoulder.

No matter where she looked, no matter what direction, she could always see a palm tree. No one had told her that about California.

At the end of the block, she noticed a blue Pontiac with the same license plate as the one that had been camped out at her motel by campus, a good ten miles up the405.