One of the garage doors was wide open, and I slipped in as quietly as I could. I wanted to see his face light up. Telly was standing near a car. There was a lady there, too. She leaned against another car drinking from a can and wearing peachy-colored clothes, like a nurse might wear. Her hair was the same color as Gloria’s now that Gloria had dyed it. Telly said something I couldn’t hear, and she tossed her head back and laughed. I edged closer.

“So about those weeks in October, Theodore.” Theodore? “I can’t take the first, but the second and third would work.”

“Should be good for me. Just need to lock it down.”

“Dad’s friend has this cottage we can use. Three hours north near Ranton Lake. It’s gorgeous. Mountains are right there.”

“Fishing?”

“Of course, Theo. Would I suggest it if the lake wasn’t full of fish?”

Telly was grinning a whole lot and his teeth shone right out of his mouth.

A thread of excitement wound around my chest. What if Maisy and I went with them? No reason we couldn’t. Telly always promised to take me fishing one day, and this would be a chance to teach me how to cast and reel in. Clean whatever I caught. I could build a fire with sticks and bark, and we could roast marshmallows and sing dumb songs. Maybe Telly would even teach me how to tie flies or fix a motor on an old boat. He could do that. If he wanted.

“Aw, Dian. How’d I get so lucky?”

Dian.

She touched Telly’s face in this soft way, and when I reached up to touch my own cheek, I bumped a metal trolley. A bunch of wrenches clattered to the ground. Dian flinched, and soda sprayed out of her can.

“Rowan,” Telly snarled.

“Well, break’s over for me, I guess!” she said, patting droplets off her shirt. “See you tonight, Theo. And firm up your dates for our trip, okay?” As she slid past me, she smiled. Sort of. Her mouth started in that direction, but then it turned down. Maybe she saw the island over my eye, or the beginning of a new white blotch beside my mouth. Like a pale moth had settled there and didn’t want to move.

“You can’t come ’round here like this. Just showing up.” Telly yanked a greasy cloth out of the front pocket of his overalls, started scrubbing at his palms. “Boss says you been calling, too. You and Gloria, coming at me nonstop.” He threw the cloth down on a bench. “She send you here?”

“What?”

“Trying to sucker me in. Get me back there with that look on your face?”

“No, Telly. No.”

“Well, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I—I just wanted to see you.” My words a pathetic croak.