Mortified by her landlady’s intrusion, May hunched in the chair, afraid to unclasp her legs, afraid to stand for fear she might fall. Except for a half dozen candy bars, she had not eaten in two days, had not wanted to eat, wanted to die. Now, suddenly, she was terrified that she might die.

She had rehashed, relived, and chastised herself for every moment spent in Denny’s office and for every word spoken. What a crazy thing to assume he might care, to open herself like that. His rejection had been wordless, and his relief when Charlie Herrill appeared was too painful, too humiliating. If only, if only she could turn back the clock.

Anger flared. How dare Mrs. Bourne open my door and walk in? What will I say to her, that I presumed too much and got what I deserved? Mrs. Bourne has been kind to me. She cared enough to check on me. I could be dead in here, and who would know? But darn, she left the window shade open, and the light hurts my eyes.

May rocked back and forth. “Oh, God,” she moaned. “What am I going to do? Help me. Please, help me.”

How long she huddled in the chair wallowing in misery, May did not know, before footsteps sounded outside her room and Amelia opened the door and entered. For an instant, May wondered how Amelia knew, and the next moment Amelia’s soft arms were about her shoulders. Wracking tears came then, and shakes so bad that Amelia must hold her tight for a long time. When May finally gained a measure of control, they sat on the floor, Amelia holding her as if she were a child.

“Talk to me, May. What happened?”

May shook her head and buried her face in her hands. “Don’t want to talk about it.”

“When you left me, did you go to Pastor Denny? Did you tell him what you told me?”

May groaned and nodded.

Amelia smoothed May’s hair. “What did he say?”

Exhausted, May looked at Amelia with eyes bereft of light and hope. “I might as well be dead. If I was to see him ever again, I’d just die. How could I have been so stupid? And the worst of it, when I told him, before he had a chance to say anything to me, in walked Charlie Herrill on some church business.” May smeared her tears across her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “You should have seen his face, Amelia. He was so relieved to see Charlie, he jumped right up outta his chair and rushed to the door to pull him in. You know what he said?”

“No, I don’t. What did he say?”