This smoky creature at his side has halved his weight. He floats up the steps to the porchlet, knees vibrating. Her profile by his shoulder is fine and cool as the face on the old dime. The key to the door of three stepped windows nearly flies out of his hand, it feels so magical. Whatever he expects when he flicks on the inside hall light, it is not the same old furniture, the fake cobbler’s bench, the sofa and the silverthread chair facing each other like two bulky drunks too tired to go upstairs. The blank TV screen in its box of metal painted with wood grain, the see-through shelves with nothing on them.

“Wow,” Jill says. “This is really tacky.”

Rabbit apologizes, “We never really picked out the furniture, it just kind of happened. Janice was always going to do different curtains.”

Jill asks, “Was she a good wife?”

His answer is nervous; the question plants Janice back in the house, quiet in the kitchen, crouching at the head of the stairs, listening. “Not too bad. Not much on organizational ability, but until she got mixed up with this other guy at least she kept plugging away. She used to drink too much but got that under control. We had a tragedy about ten years ago that sobered her up I guess. Sobered me up too. A baby died.”

“How?”

“An accident we caused.”

“That’s sad. Where do we sleep?”

“Why don’t you take the kid’s room, I guess he won’t be back. The kid he’s staying with, he’s a real spoiled jerk, I told Nelson if it got too painful he should just come home. I probably should have been here to answer the phone. What time is it? How about a beer?”

Penniless, she is wearing a little wristwatch that must have cost two hundred at least. “Twelve-ten,” she says. “Don’t you want to sleep with me?”

“Huh? That’s not your idea of bliss, is it? Sleeping with a creep?”

“You are a creep, but you just fed me.”

“Forget it. On the white community. Ha.”

“And you have this sweet funny family side. Always worrying about who needs you.”

“Yeah, well it’s hard to know sometimes. Probably nobody if I could face up to it. In answer to your question, sure I’d like to sleep with you, if I won’t get hauled in for statutory rape.”

“You’re really scared of the law, aren’t you?”

“I try to keep out of its way is all.”

“I promise you on a Bible—do you have a Bible?”

“There used to be one somewhere, that Nelson got for going to Sunday school, when he did. We’ve kind of let all that go. Just promise me.”

“I promise you I’m eighteen. I’m legally a woman. I am not bait for a black gang. You will not be mugged or blackmailed. You may fuck me.”

“Somehow you’re making me almost cry.”

“You’re awfully scared of me. Let’s take a bath together and then see how we feel about it.”