“They’re too big. We told you we had to go get some.”

“I like ’em that way.”

Lin drives to the motel, locks the car door, and walks past the puny flower beds. The screen door has a hole in it. She rings the bell. Al comes and sizes her up before he gives her the key to number eight. She pays with cash. She checks in and looks around her room. It is not very clean. She goes to her bag to get a paper clip to hold the patterned curtains together. Threads are coming loose from the cotton bedspread. A hair is on the pillow. It smells of cigarettes. The heater is at the bottom of the window. She can’t get it to work. She is tired and hungry. Her hair is moist from the ocean air. She brings in the goldfish from the floor of the car and sets it on the table. She sprinkles the food in and watches it eat. Its fins are like the red silk scarf of that strong woman from the story she heard as a girl. It reminds her of her grandmother’s scarf. She falls back on the bed and it squeaks. She’s hungry and there is nothing to read. The light is bad anyway, almost yellow. She lies on her back and tears fall down into her hair as it all catches up with her. She is not as competent or as strong as she seems.

News travels fast in Indian Country. After a phone call from someone’s wife, Ruth, at her mother’s, hears about the girl. Sure as an electric current, she feels who this girl is. “Mom. It’s his daughter. The one I dreamed about. I’m sure of it. Remember?”

“Oh? What are you waiting for? Go get her.”

At the motel Ruth asks Al which room the young lady is in. “What’s her name?” She knocks on the door. When Lin opens it, Ruth stares at her. She looks like Thomas, only slender and tall for a woman, and with an expression that says sweetness but also says she has seen a world broken to pieces. A feeling of knowing comes over Ruth. Also, she sees the younger woman has been crying.

“We’re related, you and I,” she tells Lin. It’s true, in some odd way they are, but she can’t say how. It confuses even her, but she wants Lin to stay with her. “Our family will help you. You can stay with us. Here. You haven’t even unpacked. Let me carry your things. I’m Ruth. Are you Lin?”

Lin nods. This other woman has taken over so easily, so smoothly, and she lets her. Ruth takes the key back and rings the bell at the desk. Al comes from the secret rooms behind. “Hey, Al. Can you give her a refund? I’m taking her with me.” He doesn’t want to refund her money. “It’s my policy.” He points at the sign.

“Well, she didn’t even use the sink. Besides, I see the receipt here and you overcharged her to start with. I know your rates. And then, Al, the room wasn’t clean. The heater doesn’t work and you put her in the smallest room you have when the rest are empty. In fact, I don’t even know when you made it into a room instead of the closet where you used to keep linens, and I want to know, are you going to give her back her money or am I going to make a public scene and publicize this?”