But Justin didn’t like doing the things that his dad thought boys ought to be doing. And his dad hated him for it. And eventually kicked him out of the house. And Justin’s mom sent him to live with her sister, Belinda, and her husband, Clair. Which turned out to be the best thing that could have happened, because Aunt Belinda and Uncle Clair encouraged Justin to keep dancing. With Michelle. Or with anybody he wanted to.

Unfortunately, Justin no longer wanted anything to do with dancing when he started living with Aunt Belinda and Uncle Clair—because it reminded him of what his dad made him feel like for liking dancing.

But his uncle Clair told him there were other ways to dance. And he taught him how to play the guitar. Which was like dancing—but with the fingers instead of the feet. And Justin was grateful that Uncle Clair had introduced him to music. It gave him purpose. And saved his life.

In a couple of minutes, they passed the Rec Center. Michelle saw the big lit-up A-frame sign that was perched on the snowbank.

COUNTRY SWING!

TONITE!

5 BUCKS!

And she thought that maybe they could go dancing—that maybe that could be the fun thing they did. The last time they had danced was when they were kids. And Michelle wanted to feel like a kid again. Because she was feeling more like a grown-up than she had ever felt.

But then she realized that Justin probably wouldn’t want to go dancing, what with his uncle’s funeral being the next morning.

So she kept driving.

And they passed the Moose Paddy.

And Ma Dudley’s.

And St. Mary’s Church.

And the old Gallagher Potato Farm.

And the observatory at Skyview Park. Which wasn’t there the last time Justin was in town. “You heard about this Skyview observatory place?” asked Michelle.

“No.” Justin had seen the platform on his way into Almost and wondered what it was but wasn’t interested enough to ask his aunt about it.

“They’re trying to get astro-tourists to come up here,” snickered Michelle.

“Huh?”

“They’re trying to get people—tourists—to come up here to look at the stars.”

“Why?”

“’Cause it’s a good place to see the stars. Which is true, I guess,” said Michelle. And Justin agreed. He had learned that Portland wasn’t a very good place to see the stars. And he realized he missed them. “All seems a little desperate, to me,” added Michelle.

And it was desperate. Because northern Maine was desperate to attract people. Because it was losing so many of them.

And then they didn’t talk for a while as they headed east on the Road to Somewhere.

And then Michelle started filling Justin in on what the people they had grown up with were up to. Justin didn’t really care what they were up to. But he didn’t tell Michelle that. So he listened as she told him that Stan Day had moved to Stonington and was working on a lobster boat. And that Paulette Wolf was going to McGill University in Montreal. (She was really smart.) And Mike Hoggatt was a lineman for the power company in Presque Isle. And Penny St. John was in jail for making meth in some cars in the woods.