Instead of answering, Mira listened to the faint call of whip-poor-wills. As they stood in the near dark on this once-plantation, with only the dim light of the lanterns in the distance, time felt arbitrary. In this moment looking out onto the grounds, at the path from the Big House leading toward the cottages, she could not tell the difference between this year or one long ago—fifty years or a hundred. The wind’s whisper through the trees made her wonder at all they’d once witnessed. What burdens had the trees had to bear?

During their silence a decision seemed to settle in Jesse’s mind. He exhaled deeply, and forced a smile. “You want to go for a walk?”

As Jesse and Mira walked along the grounds, she occasionally noticed a few other employees. Kitchen staff, their white uniforms stained from the day’s work, passed them on the way to the parking lot. Mira waited for him to start the conversation, but the longer they walked the more Jesse appeared at ease. He’d grown used to the quiet of being alone, was comfortable in the space of himself. If she let him they could walk together and the whole night would be like this.

“If I close my eyes, it sounds like the summers we used to camp outside in my backyard,” Mira said, hoping with the memory Jesse would open up. “The three of us with just a couple of blankets to sit on. No tent.”

“Of course no tent. Tents were for rich kids,” Jesse added.

“And each of us holding flashlights while we tried to use cigarette lighters to make s’mores,” Mira continued after hearing Jesse laugh. “With that Marshmallow Fluff because Celine thought it’d be the same as marshmallows but it dripped and stuck to everything.”

“Well, you were the one who brought that grab bag of candy. Kit Kats and Snickers aren’t for s’mores.”

“They were still good though.”

“I haven’t thought about those days in a long time. I remember how hot I always was, what with those itchy blankets in the middle of summer. I’ve never been able to sleep in the heat, and I always worried your mother would find me with you and Celine. I always lied there awake in the dark and listened to you and Celine as you slept.”

Mira raised her eyebrows. This was not how she remembered it. It always felt like Jesse had been having as much fun as Celine and Mira. He’d always come with snacks and listened to their jokes and gossip. She didn’t know what to do with hearing this different story than the one she’d known.

“Why’d you come if you didn’t like it?”

“Because it was something we all did, I guess. I don’t know, I did a lot of stuff because of other people. I was too proud then to admit it.”