Blood From a Stone (168 page)
Read Blood From a Stone Online
Authors: Cynthia Lucas
I
t
w
as
a
cho
i
ce
t
hat
had
s
t
a
rt
ed
as
a
v
a
g
ue
no
ti
on du
ri
ng d
i
nner
and
as
h
i
s
r
ea
li
z
a
ti
ons
about
h
i
s
o
w
n
i
deas
on
f
a
it
h
had
co
m
e
i
n
t
o
t
he
p
i
c
t
u
r
e
du
ri
ng
t
he
i
r
d
i
scu
s
s
i
on,
i
t
had
g
r
o
w
n
i
n
t
o
a
f
u
l
l
-
b
l
o
w
n
p
l
an
f
or
w
h
i
ch
no
t
h
i
ng
cou
l
d
g
et
i
n
t
he
w
a
y
.
A
nd
as
m
uch as he
w
i
shed
t
hat
p
l
an
i
n
v
o
l
v
ed W
i
l
l
o
w
,
w
it
h
her
g
o
l
den
ha
i
r
sp
l
a
y
ed out
on h
i
s
p
ill
o
w
,
and
her beau
t
i
f
ul
na
k
ed
bod
y
,
w
a
r
m
and
da
m
p
benea
t
h
h
i
s
o
w
n,
as
t
hey
exp
l
o
r
ed
e
v
e
r
y squa
r
e
i
nch
of
each
o
t
he
r
,
he
k
new
t
hat
i
ns
t
ead
i
t
i
n
v
o
l
v
ed so
m
eone e
l
se.
T
hat
so
m
eone
w
as
t
he
littl
e
boy
she
‘
d
m
e
n
ti
oned ea
rli
e
r
,
on
t
he
fift
h
fl
oo
r
,
i
n
r
oom 556
i
n
t
he
B
w
i
ng
at
S
t
.
L
u
k
e
’
s
H
osp
it
a
l
,
w
ho
’
s
pa
r
en
t
s
had
f
a
it
h
t
hat
a
m
ir
ac
l
e
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
co
m
e…be
i
t
fr
om
G
od,
or
t
he
H
ea
v
ens
or
fro
m
t
he an
g
e
l
s
t
he
m
se
l
v
es.
C
H
AP
T
E
R
SE
V
EN
T
EE
N
S
a
m
son
r
ounded
t
he
co
r
ner
of
W
i
ns
t
on
T
e
rr
ace and pu
ll
ed
i
n
t
o
W
ill
o
w
’
s
d
ri
v
e
w
a
y
,
d
i
mm
i
ng h
i
s
li
g
h
t
s
a
s
he pu
ll
ed
i
n.
H
e d
i
dn
’
t
shut
o
f
f
t
he en
g
i
ne but
hopped out
t
o open her
door
f
or
her
o
ff
e
ri
ng
h
i
s
a
r
m
as
he he
l
ped her
ou
t
.
“
S
o
I
g
uess
y
ou
’r
e
not
co
m
i
ng
i
n
t
on
i
g
h
t
?”
S
he
l
oo
k
ed d
i
sappo
i
n
t
ed.
“We
ll
,
I
so
r
t
of
fi
g
u
r
ed
m
a
y
be
y
ou
d
i
d
n
’
t
w
ant
m
e
t
o,” he o
ff
e
r
ed.
“I
t
o
l
d
y
ou I
be
li
e
v
ed
y
ou ea
rli
e
r
.”
“
B
ut
do
y
ou
r
ea
ll
y
?”
he
sa
i
d
as
t
hey
w
a
l
k
ed
up
t
o
t
he door
of
her
h
ouse.
“
Y
es. I
m
ean…” her
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
.
S
o…
y
ou
ha
v
e
t
o
t
h
i
nk
about
it
,
now
do
y
ou?”
he
s
m
il
ed.
S
he
l
oo
k
ed
h
i
m
i
n
t
he
e
y
e
ha
r
d
and
l
on
g
.
“
N
o.
I
don
’
t
ha
v
e
t
o
t
h
i
nk
about
it
.
I
tr
ust
y
ou,”
she
sa
i
d
fir
m
l
y
.
“I
k
now
it’
s
c
r
a
z
y
…I ba
r
e
l
y
k
now
y
ou.
B
ut
t
hen
t
h
i
s
l
ast
fe
w da
y
s
has been
c
r
a
z
y
t
oo,
so
w
ha
t’
s
one
m
o
r
e
b
i
t
of
i
nsan
it
y
t
o
add
t
o
t
he heap.”
H
e
t
ook
her
i
n h
i
s
a
r
m
s
f
ee
li
ng
s
li
g
ht
l
y
g
u
ilt
y
.
H
e
k
new
da
m
ned
w
e
ll
,
t
hat
w
hat
he
w
as about
t
o do
w
hen he
l
e
f
t
he
r
e
cou
l
d
cost
h
i
m W
ill
o
w
’
s
tr
us
t
…her
a
ff
ec
t
i
on.
E
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
n
g
.
B
ut
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
d
r
o
v
e h
i
m
on.
I
n
t
he
sa
m
e
w
ay
he
’
d
been
as
k
i
ng
W
ill
o
w
t
o
tr
ust h
i
m
,
m
o
r
e
i
m
po
rt
an
tl
y
,
he
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
t
o
tr
u
s
t
h
i
m
se
lf
.
T
o ha
v
e so
m
e
f
a
it
h
t
hat
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
w
o
r
k
ou
t
.
P
e
r
haps
t
he
r
e
i
n
w
as
t
he
r
eason
he
’
d
b
e
en
l
oo
k
i
ng
f
or as
t
o
w
hy
t
he sub
j
ect
of
f
a
it
h had co
m
e up
m
o
r
e
t
han once
t
h
i
s n
i
g
h
t
.
“
P
r
o
m
i
se
m
e
y
ou
’l
l
tr
ust
m
e
t
o
m
o
rr
o
w
….t
hat
y
ou
w
on
’
t
chan
g
e
y
our
m
i
nd,”
he
sa
i
d
qu
i
e
tl
y
as
he
t
ook
her
f
ace
i
n h
i
s
hands
and so
ftl
y
k
i
ssed her
li
ps.
S
he
pu
ll
ed
back
fr
om
h
i
m
s
li
g
h
tl
y
.
“W
h
at
do
y
ou
m
ean?
Why
w
ou
l
d I
chan
g
e
m
y
m
i
nd?”