“I suppose it can be a good-bye present now.”

The light was dim in the cab from the headlights shining off ahead of them, but Leo knew what it was just by holding it. The wrapping paper had dry welts in it from having gotten wet, and when he tore it off and opened the harmonica case, a piece of tightly folded paper fell out. Allie picked it up off his leg.

“I want to read that.”

“No, play something.”

Leo raised the harp to his lips and sucked out a moaning riff from the middle keys. It was a D harp; D for Donovan, D for downhearted, D for decided already. He didn’t want to blow another note.

“I was planning to give it to you on your birthday, but I didn’t.”

“But this was in the woods.”

The music stopped up the hill. It sounded like they were all moving into the kitchen. Helena was laughing at something and Leo could hear his father and Ryder talking through it. He looked at Allie. He could make out just so much of her hair and face and T-shirt. “Please read me the note.”

“Sorry.”

“Why not.”

“It doesn’t apply anymore, Leo. No Irish Need Apply.”

“What?”

“That’s what NINA means, didn’t you know that? It’s carved in stone above all those factory doors where my father grew up.”

“Well I’m not Irish.” Leo reached for her hand but she pulled away, stuck both her arms out the window, and ripped the note up into tiny pieces she dropped to the road. She sat back in her seat, breathing harder than before.

Leo let his hand rest on her leg. It felt narrow and soft and she seemed to hold her breath. He started to slide towards her across the seat, and when he kissed her lips she kissed him back. She was crying, and Leo felt afraid.

“Please take me home. I just want to go home.”

At the top of Spoon Hill, in front of the porch, he handed her the truck keys. He could see the side of Chick’s face in the lamplight behind her, through the screen door. He had his glasses on and was looking straight ahead, wide awake, and Leo was sure he was listening, though there wasn’t much to hear; they hadn’t said another word on the short drive back, and now, facing each other in the shadowed light coming through the windows of the house, they both looked away at the same time, Allie at the ground, Leo out at the darkness of the river valley below, the black broken only by the lights of Beatrice’s and the theater and street lamps.