“Okay.” I laughed too. Gloria had twinkly eyes because Telly was moving home. He’d know what to do. He’d fix things.

“I knew he’d be back. I’ve been watching him, you know? Him and her at their house. Leaving all their lights on at night. Curtains wide open. Easy enough to see everything, Bids. And I could tell, I could just tell, he was almost out of his mind. Numb with her. I mean, what could he have ever seen in some stick of a woman who cleans gunk off teeth? Poor Telly.” She chewed her lip and smiled. “I know that man better than he knows himself. And me and him? Things like the two of us don’t unravel so easy. Not with that history, they don’t.” She shook her head back and forth. Her skin looked peachy, too. “Oh, Bids. I just knew. I just knew.”

ROWAN

I don’t know how many days I’d been in there, but the throbbing in my head was lessening. I was still sore, but when I tapped my tooth with my tongue, it seemed stronger. The wiggle was gone. Maybe that was a good sign. It could be a good sign. Things might be okay. Just like Dot had said. I couldn’t give up. I had to keep trying.

I got up and leaned against the sink. Cupping warm water from the tap, I dampened my hair. Pushed it over to the side. I reached under the shirt and sweater and tried to rinse the stench from my armpits. Inside my chest, I felt the thinnest thread of hope. I stared at my face, which now seemed unfamiliar to me. My brain could not connect my eyes with my nose and my mouth. All the parts were separate. Would Gloria even recognize me?

Then she was outside the door, humming a song and fiddling with the lock. I sat back down and put my head on the cold linoleum, but I couldn’t see past the bunched-up fabric. The door creaked open. I could smell more beans. While the thought of beans made me sick, my stomach ached and growled.

“Gloria,” I whispered. A dry croak. “Has Telly decided?”

She nodded. “He will.”

“Really? Can I say something?” This was my one chance of the day to explain. I had to do it right.

She didn’t answer.