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Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Also by Silas House
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. Contents
  7. Part One
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. Part Two
  27. 1
  28. 2
  29. 3
  30. 4
  31. 5
  32. 6
  33. 7
  34. 8
  35. 9
  36. 10
  37. Part Three
  38. 1
  39. 2
  40. 3
  41. 4
  42. 5
  43. 6
  44. 7
  45. 8
  46. 9
  47. 10
  48. 11
  49. 12
  50. 13
  51. 14
  52. 15
  53. 16
  54. 17
  55. 18
  56. 19
  57. 20
  58. 21
  59. 22
  60. 23
  61. 24
  62. 25
  63. 26
  64. 27
  65. 28
  66. 29
  67. 30
  68. 31
  69. Part Four
  70. 1
  71. 2
  72. 3
  73. Epilogue: The Everything
  74. Acknowledgments
  75. About the Author
  76. About Algonquin
  77. Copyright

When he has swallowed the wafer and the wine Asher looks up before moving out of the way for the next row of people to take their place at the communion rail. And there before him, the cup trembling in his hand, is his brother.

Luke.

Asher steps away from the rail and into the small room off the side of the sanctuary. He can’t believe it as he watches Luke hand off the cup to another priest so he can rush out to them. He can’t seem to catch his breath. Right here, all this time. Right under his nose, just waiting for him to find the church, the place he should have gone first. But Luke, a priest? He would have never thought that. Not that. Only when Justin hisses up at him “What is it?” does he realize he is standing there with both his hands over his mouth.

Then there is Luke with his white robe ballooning out around him because of his haste. As soon as Luke reaches him, he wraps Asher up in his arms. They are hugging and there are no words and although Asher always imagined that he would burst into tears upon finally seeing his brother again, he doesn’t. He laughs in disbelief.

“Luke,” he says, grinning. “Luke, Luke.”

25

25

Darkness has taken up residence when they return.

No flashing lights, no cops, nothing. They stop at the corner of Olivia and Elizabeth Streets and then ride the Vespa on up to the fence of Song to a Seagull, quiet. The tiny chatter of crickets—night sounds are so much smaller here than back home—and nothing else.

So they go on into the courtyard.

Every light in Bell’s house is on, and Evona’s half of their house is lit up, too. Shady trots out to them and jumps up, his front paws on Justin’s chest.

“Oh God, where have you been?” Evona comes off the porch and throws her arms around Asher’s neck.

“We stayed at the beach, then the church,” Asher says. “I should’ve come back sooner. I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s alright,” she says. “It’s good you left. They were here for a couple of hours or more. Two cops, the coroner.”

She motions for Justin to sit with her on the wicker love seat. Shady jumps up there with them and perches his head on Justin’s lap. Evona keeps hold of Justin’s hand. Asher can’t stand to look at her cried-out face. He reaches out and strokes Shady’s head and Shady licks at Asher’s fingers, a bathing that says I missed you, I love you, I’m so glad you’re here.

“What happened?”