ia
driver pulled up to the heavy
open, and my breath
ed rose gar
were a tribute planted in her memory,
to the sky. A cheap, brightly colored plastic children's playg
bag of groceries. She halted as if she had run into a w
and down with imm
doing here?"
younger woman's voice dri
ula? Simon barely slept after ta
ow, sickening churn that was n
sband was in my house, and he had
the wrought iron g
d. She marched forward and thr
t out. This is my
y training kicked in, suppressin
te of rust that had risen in my throat, forcing
out a loud,
My daughter bought t
wider, and a woman ste
ject manager I had mercifully handed a lucrative contra
oze when
rim dented and stained with the dark residue of his first gunf
eyes on
own," I c
read across her face. She raised the mug to her lips and de
s Simon?
e doorframe. "Why are yo
, straightened her posture
t had a beautiful baby together. Now get o
Civilian neighbors stepped out onto t
at I must be the bitter ex-wi
ho you are. You are Simon's ex-wife. The one who
ivorced," I
ou hit your head and forget th
r voice loud enough for
n divorcing you was an escape from misery.
heir phones, pointing their ca
e. I did not care about the
ctly toward t
ock my path, her hand pr
r wrist, and I applied a precise, educated pressure to the ra
beneath it, a slow, volcanic heat was already building-the ki
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