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Yulia got up and left the room when Hollis finished explaining, and he wasn’t surprised. He was kind of shocked that she stayed through the whole thing. But Annie didn’t leave, she just sat there processing it and looking curious.

“Are you all right?” Walt asked.

She tilted her head to one side, then the other.

“These past few months haven’t been great for me. I thought you were mad at me because of what we talked about at the pond. After that, I thought you were doing something dangerous and secret. Then for the past few weeks I just thought you were sick,” Annie said hesitantly. “This isn’t the best thing I’ve ever learned, but... at least for me , this is better. You don’t seem like anything is wrong with you physically, so I’m relieved about that. But now that I know why you were avoiding looking at me, I don’t feel as bad. I might get angry about it later though.”

“That’s okay. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it,” Hollis said.

Annie stuck her legs over the edge of the protective circle, smudging it on purpose, and then lay back and closed her eyes.

“I spent all of last night thinking about what I would do if this were happening to me. I think I wouldn’t know how to approach it either. I know you wouldn’t believe me, and Yulia would have freaked out so bad. Worse than this,” she whispered. “I don’t think I’m a person who could have figured out a way to live the way you guys are. I know I should probably be more upset, but I’m just really glad you’re okay, Hollis. I’m really glad you’re doing okay.”

Hollis was ashamed.

“I’m sorry, Annie. I haven’t been a good friend,” he admitted.

Annie shrugged.

“Who’s to say this isn’t the best kind of friend someone going through this can be?” she said. “Come lie down, Holly.”

Hollis waited a moment, to see if she would change her mind, but Annie didn’t say anything. He lowered himself to the hardwood floor and crossed the broken circle line. Lay on his side, head by her shoulder, curled up like a crescent roll.

“Can I talk to Walt?”

“You can talk to Walt,” Hollis said. “He’s listening.”

“Hey.” Annie turned her head, and Hollis could feel her breath rustling his hair. “Great-Uncle Toji wouldn’t be mad at you still. You should stop feeling so bad. It was a long time ago, and you were just a kid.”

“I can’t, and I wasn’t a kid,” Walt said. “You weren’t there.”

Annie sighed.

“It’s self-centered to think everything that happened is because of you. Yeah, you were a major catalyst, but they didn’t have to kill your family. They didn’t have to do any of it. They could have just hauled you back to town and handled it on an individual basis. You’re not responsible for the actions of others, you’re just responsible for you.

“I’m sure you have other things you probably need to apologize for, and I definitely don’t want to know about them. But, this? It’s whatever. Great-Uncle Toji was fine, he died old and made a bunch of my aunts and uncles. I never met him, but I’m sure he probably forgave you ages ago.”

Walt was quiet.

Hollis reached up and brushed his hand through their hair. He could feel the weight of Annie’s gaze, so he looked up at her.

“He’s sad. I... This helps.”

Annie reached over, and Walt froze.

“I’ll give him back if. If... ?” Annie let her fingertips graze Hollis’s forehead.

Nothing happened.

Walt relaxed, and Annie traveled the path Hollis took. Her fingers following the furrows and waves.

“I missed you, Annie,” Hollis confessed.

“I missed you too.”