Chapter 19~
Wednesday, July fourth, Willow awoke thanking the Lord for a free country.  The Finley women took holidays seriously and that meant no unnecessary work.  Before dawn broke over the countryside, Willow sat under her favorite tree fishing.  She’d have fish and toast for breakfast if she- No, the first fish swung through the air and she set it in her bucket.  Fish for breakfast.  Period. An hour later, she filleted two fish and fried them in cornmeal.  The temptation to share with the puppy was great but having lost a puppy to a fish bone once before, she knew better.  “Sorry Dizzy Daisy.  I’m not risking you I’ve already found one bone I missed.”

Chapter 18~
Othello raised his head limply as Chad bounced along the drive and then flopped back to the mound that covered his late mistress.  Chad parked, grabbed a bowl of water and packet of dog meat from the fridge, and trudged out to the grave.  The dog didn’t even attempt to rise to meet him. Chad raised the dog’s head and gazed into his cloudy eyes.  He sighed painfully.  “Oh Othello, you can’t.  She can’t handle more loss.  Please.  Drink.” The dog merely whimpered and turned away.  Chad dropped his arms on his knees and hung his head, praying.  When, minutes later, the dog’s eyes froze in death, Chad sighed.  “Oh Lord, how

Chapter 17~
Mozart surrounded them in a quiet cocoon of classical music as Bill’s Camry zipped along the highway between Fairbury and the Rockland loop.  The air between them practically wailed with discomfort and uncertainty.  Willow tried several times to tell Bill about her hopes of visiting the clothing store but suddenly telling him she’d made arrangements to spend more time with him felt awkward.  Bill, sensing her hesitation and unease, assumed it was rooted in his company.   With an inward sigh, he braced himself for a long day. Willow glanced sideways, feeling miserable.  She wasn’t accustomed to not saying whatever was on her mind.  This uncertainty felt dup

Chapter 16~
Friday morning, Willow was up at dawn.  Starting in the upstairs bathroom, she scrubbed the upstairs from top to bottom.  She changed sheets, dusted furniture, washed windows, carried the rugs outside for a beating later that morning, and mopped the floors.  Every piece of wood was oiled and rubbed dry and fresh flowers decorated her room, her mother’s room, and the bathroom. Before she started downstairs, Willow surveyed her work with satisfaction.  She had always been in charge of upstairs clean up on Fridays and it felt good to return to a familiar rhythm.  As she jogged down the stairs, the sense of familiarity ended.  No music played, no windows shone, and nothing

Chapter 15~
Chad drove toward Brunswick lost in thought.  The sight of Willow in the company of someone else, having fun, and clearly not wanting to ride home with him was both a relief and a bit concerning.  Had he offended her?  Was she aware of his resistance to the obligation he felt regarding her? He punched Luke’s phone number into his cell phone, turned it on speaker, and slapped it in the holder on the dashboard.  “Hey Luke I need advice.” “About Willow?” Unsure how to respond when he’d obviously been too transparent already, Chad mumbled something about “that girl needing more friends and less dependence on him for help and