Her eyes traveled over the pictures pinned to my wall. Luckily I was working on the ones for the campaign, not the private ones. Even so, my skin prickled all over, like in those dreams where you find yourself in the school cafeteria with no clothes on. Maybe she knew about the other animation I was doing. She’d always known everything about me. Even things I didn’t know myself.

“I could help you with your drawing,” said my mother. “If you ever need a second opinion. Just say.”

Sharper pang. “Sure, Mom.” She hugged me from behind and kissed the top of my head. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

She seemed in good spirits, considering. No wobbly voice. No staring into that too-bright light. My mother was happy I had something to do. Art is her thing, after all. She doesn’t do it much anymore, but she looks at it and teaches people about it, and some of that must have rubbed off on me. I don’t think it came from Antonio.

Almost time to change the paper. With all the erasing and redrawing, you get rips and smudges and the surface becomes a lot more interesting. Eventually it gets so interesting you can’t use it anymore. Then you start again with a clean, boring sheet.

Wherever my mother was, in the laundry room or the kitchen or tapping on her computer in the study, there were these invisible strings running from her to me. I could feel them tugging. Here I am. If you need anything. Please need something I can give you. She knew I was up here making an animation but she would never ask to see it, no matter how much she wanted to. If she asked, I would show her. I might even show her the other one someday. If I thought she could stand it.

Hi Antonio,

Me again. How are you?

Did I tell you I have a boyfriend named Jack? He is almost as tall as you, and he’s already got his driver’s license. Science is his favorite subject. He has that kind of a mind. Since I met him, I have gotten more interested in how things work. Like how the heart pumps the blood around and how many complicated reactions are going on all the time to keep everything on track. Did you know that your heart beats 100,000 times a day!!! I don’t even like to think about that.

I used to draw a lot and I’ve started drawing again. Jack and I are making an animation for the campaign. It’s going to be cool.

Maddy

Maddy,

Yes, the more you learn about the natural world, the more miraculous it seems. Did you know that the odds against any particular person with that person’s exact genetic makeup being born are astronomical?