JESSE TOOK HIS time driving to the Woodsman Plantation. He must have thought she wouldn’t notice he took the long way, making a loop around downtown instead of through it, or that he went five miles below the speed limit the entire time. Mira kept her mouth shut anyway, because at least he was getting her there, and she hoped that despite his stalling they’d still make it before dark.

By the time Jesse pulled into the parking lot the streetlights had flashed on. The glow illuminated the gravel of the parking lot. Jesse parked at one of the available spaces near the entrance.

“Well, we’re here,” he told Mira as he shut off the engine. They sat in the uncomfortable silence until Jesse began to jingle his keys, making them go around and round his finger.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said about joy,” Mira said. The whole car ride Mira kept bringing herself back to the photographs Jesse had taken, the joy unseen, and she wondered about her own life, their childhood, and how it had been.

“Oh yeah?” Jesse asked, not hiding his surprise.

“It made me remember how we used to spend weekend mornings at the dollar movie theater showings.”

“I forgot about those! They had that quarter soda machine too with the knock-off brands. We’d sneak in a bunch of Squirts and Dr. Perky’s and stay in there all day.”

“Until the manager noticed and kicked us out.”

“Yeah, true,” Jesse said, nodding. “Man, we used to do some dumb stuff when we were bored. Remember when we borrowed your mother’s garden hose one summer to spray ourselves cool and we came up with the genius idea to do a slip-and-slide with trash bags and dish soap?”

“That was a terrible idea all around, both because Mom was mad we took her hose but also because we ruined the lawn.”

“And our behinds.” Jesse laughed, unable to control himself, and Mira joined him. They both filled the car with their laughter and Mira wished it had been like this between them from the beginning. Mira laughed until her stomach felt sore and the silence returned.

“We had joy too, didn’t we? Before the rest of it,” Mira asked.

Jesse coughed as he contemplated her question. He turned to face her, his expression now serious. “I think it’s easy to forget sometimes, but sure. We did.”

Mira smiled and looked out the window, unable to meet his gaze as she asked her next question. “I’ve also been thinking about that other thing you said. The part about loving the girl I was.”