He got off the bench and got close to Gloria. Then he kissed her on the lips. For a long time. When he finished it made a smack.

She patted her cheek and coughed. “You can get a rest here, Telly. With me. Up in our bed.”

“I—I—”

“I just want things like regular. Us to be a family.”

“We are, aren’t we? A family?”

“Not if you’re leaving.”

“Couple of hours, and I’ll be back. We got to focus on finding Rowan right now. Not this mess between us. You understand?” He kissed her again. Not as long this time.

“Oh, Telly,” she said. “Why did it take this to bring us back together?”

Telly lifted his hat up and pushed it back down. “I got to go. We can talk later, okay?”

“Promise?” she said.

“I just got a lot of balls in the air, Glow, but I swear, I want to be right here when our boy gets home.”

The screen door creaked. Telly went out and then I heard his truck grumble and the dirt crunch. I watched Gloria wave and shut the door. Then I heard her say to nobody at all, “I’m doing my best to be patient. I really, really am.”

ROWAN

“Why did you turn on the TV?” Carl yelled. “Tell me. Tell me. Why’d you turn it on, Magic Boy?”

“I don’t know.”

“Tell me. Why’d you turn it on?”

“Carl.”

“Why did you turn it on? Tell me why.”

“Please. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Why did you turn it on?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know,” he repeated.

“I don’t, Carl. No reason. I thought it was okay.”

“You know. Why did you turn it on?”

“I wasn’t thinking, Carl. There was no reason.”

He was getting closer and closer.

“Why did you turn it on?”

“I just—I just wanted to watch a sh-shh—”

“What show.” His words burst out before mine even finished.

“I don’t know. I wanted to check.”

“Check what. Urh. Hey, Magic Boy? Check, check? What did you need, urh, to check?”

“What was on?”

“What did you think was on?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking. Any show. That’s all. Just a show. Something regular.” So I could pretend that things were normal. That I had a home.

“You knew I was in there, did, did, urh, didn’t you?”

“In where?”

“In the box. You knew they locked me in the box.”

“I didn’t. I really didn’t. You’re not in the box, Carl. You’re right here with me. We’re here. Right? In your cottage.”

He didn’t seem to hear me.

“Keeping me in there. Restraining me. Collecting my thoughts to destroy me. I’m contained. I’m, I’m, I’m, urh, contained.”

“I swear I didn’t put you in there, Carl. I swear!”