“I’ll be fine,” Nola steadied her voice. She should have been in Europe, on her now-cancelled tour. Addressing the vacant-eyed girl, she pointed to the photograph and asked, “Jenna has some scars. Is she the one you saw, who went to New Orleans?”

The girl nodded, her mouth full.

“Give her another burger,” the boy interjected, “and she’ll tell you she saw Elvis dancing with the Virgin Mary.”

But the girl shook her head. “I saw her. I did.”

The others ripped through the food bags and began eating. “Are you some kind of social worker?” one asked, “Because if you are, get lost.”

“I’m looking for my sister,” Nola replied. She searched the girl’s face. “Someone may be looking for you, too.”

The girl let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. My Dad’s looking for me, all right.”

“Maybe he’s waiting for your call,” Nola said and pointed to her cell phone. “Can I call him for you?”

“Don’t!” the girl screamed. “So he can come fuck me?”

“Shut up,” one of the boys told her. “Ladies, just leave. Leave us alone.”

Gabby took out the car keys and motioned toward the gathering clouds outside. “May I drive anyone to town?”

“There’s a church where you could stay. At least it’s warm in there,” Nola said, scanning the faces in front of her. They were so young, yet disillusioned.

A couple of the youngsters shook their heads. The others didn’t bother to respond.

Nola handed a Coke to the boy with the fuzzy lip. “Winter’s coming. At the church they’ll help you get a job, you know. You can learn things.”

He turned his back to her. Dejected, Nola followed Gabby outside.

Only when back in New York with Eddie that night did Nola break down. He held her and when she woke up in the middle of the night, he read her poetry.

Cherry trees were blooming pink in Central Park when Wade took Nola for a walk. He ambled along with his hands clasped behind his back, his head tilted, as he spoke to her. He looked comfortable in his chinos, Izod shirt and leather loafers.

“You’ve set your career back at least a year, plus you’ve acquired a reputation for being unreliable since canceling the European tour. Venue owners say they can’t count on you. Now we’re looking at a new season. I say Europe is lo-oong overdue.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I know this is difficult for you. But I can’t—I won’t—leave the States. I must keep looking for her.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as I know that she wants me to come and get her.” Nola shrugged. “She’s testing my love.”

“C’mon. It’s you she’s hiding from. We don’t know why, but for that matter, we’ve never known why she does anything.”