When sleep finally came, it swallowed me with such force that not even the full sun pouring through the open windows could wake me. When I lifted my head and looked over at the clock on the nightstand, I saw that it was after eleven. I dressed and went over to the main house. I hesitated at the kitchen door—Should I knock? I thought—before entering. There was coffee, still hot. I knew where to find a cup, as well as where the sugar bowl was kept. I dropped a cube in the brew, stirred it, and went back outside—to the rose garden. I was still there twenty minutes later when Arch arrived, toting a blue plastic bag from an electronics store.

“Good morning,” he said. “It is still morning, by the way. Just barely.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m usually an early riser.”

“Travel takes it out of you.”

“What’s that?”

He handed me the bag. Inside, I found a box containing a new BlackBerry, identical to the one Arch was always fiddling with.

“Now you can reach me, or anyone else, whenever you like,” he said. “It’s all ready to go. I got you the international calling plan. And I had the guy at the store load my address book into it. Vanessa, Jim, Jamie, Scott—all of their numbers are in there. Probably a few other folks you might want to catch up with too. And me.”

“I don’t know how to use one of these things,” I said.

“In another year or two, you won’t be able to get along without one. These little fuckers are going to make some people very, very rich.”

“They haven’t already?”

“They’re just getting started. Here, let me show you.”

Arch explained how to summon numbers from the address book, how to place calls and send text messages.

“Text messages?” I asked. “Why wouldn’t you just call?”

“I know, it’s weird, but that’s how people do it now. There,” he said. “It’s easy. There’s a manual in there if you want to learn how to use the calendar and so forth. But you’ve got the basics. So you can get in touch with any of us anytime.”

He handed me a set of car keys.

“Use my Range Rover while you’re in town. Consider it yours. Just promise me you won’t drive to Texas and sell it to a chop shop on the border.”

I blushed. Arch gave me a playful punch on the shoulder.

“Is Jim still sore about that?” I asked.

“I think he’s ready to call it even. Just promise me, okay? That you’ll stick around. See this through.”

I winced at the thought that Arch might think me capable of deserting my mother on her deathbed. Then again, I’d yet to give him reason to believe otherwise.

“I promise,” I said.