Cedar Woman (42 page)

Dea
n
’s
b
r
o
t
her
Gary
o
w
n
ed
t
h
e
a
p
art
m
ent
b
u
il
d
i
n
g,
an
d
m
ov
e
d
by t
h
e
st
o
ry
o
f
t
h
e
little
f
a
mily,
a
n
d
swayed
b
y
h
is
b
r
o
t
h
e
r’s
lo
v
e
for
t
h
e Catc
h
ers,
c
u
t t
h
e
re
n
t
t
o
the
b
a
re
m
i
ni
m
u
m
,
i
n
cl
ud
i
n
g
u
tilities
a
n
d
a p
ho
n
e.
It
w
a
s
a
gift
of
l
o
ve
f
r
om co
m
p
lete
strangers that
captivat
e
d Le
n
a’s
h
eart
with
its
g
e
n
er
o
s
i
ty.

P
l
acing
h
e
r
pu
rse
o
n
t
h
e
co
u
n
ter, wh
ic
h
separat
e
d
t
h
e
li
v
ing
ro
om f
r
om
t
h
e
kitchenette,
Lena o
p
ened
t
h
e
r
e
fri
g
erat
o
r
d
o
o
r
a
n
d pulled out t
h
e

ingredi
e
nts
for
the
even
i
ng
meal.
Toni
gh
t
it
would
be
Three
Sisters

Soup.

A
t
e!
L
e
na
r
a
n
to
t
h
e
hu
ddl
e
d
f
o
rm
of
her fat
h
er
as
he
e
m
erged f
r
om t
h
e
lar
g
est
b
e
dro
o
m
,
s
h
ared
by
h
i
m a
n
d
Mary.
Partially
p
a
ralyzed
o
n
h
i
s left si
d
e, Peter s
o
m
e
ti
m
es
s
tr
u
g
g
led
to remain
u
p
rig
h
t in
h
is w
h
eelc
h
air w
h
e
n
ti
r
e
d
o
r
n
ew
l
y
aw
a
k
e
n
e
d
.

“
Ate!” Lena r
e
peated,
a
n
d
leaned
fo
rw
a
r
d
to
kiss her
fa
t
h
er
on
his cheek. Straightening,
s
h
e s
m
i
l
ed
at h
e
r g
r
a
n
d
m
other.

“
Unci,
I
’
ve
st
a
rted
o
u
r
s
up
p
e
r.
Why
do
n
’t
y
ou
a
nd
Ate
c
o
m
e
i
n
to t
h
e
k
itchen area and
talk w
h
ile I co
o
k
?
”

Reva
s
m
iled
at
her
fo
urte
en
-
y
ear
-
o
ld gr
an
dd
au
ght
e
r.
W
a
m
b
l
i
is
d
efi
n
itely
h
er
t
o
tem
,
s
h
e
thought.
Sh
e
is
str
o
n
g
.
Als
o
,
t
h
e
t
u
rtle,
w
h
ich

²⁶
Unchee
- grand
m
other

ur
g
es
her
t
o
n
u
rtur
e
.
A
fi
n
e
,
y
o
u
n
g
w
oma
n
,
R
eva
T
w
o
S
t
r
i
kes
as
s
u
r
e
d herse
l
f.

It
had
be
e
n
a
d
ifficult
ti
m
e
f
o
r
Reva.
Her
o
n
ly child,
h
e
r
str
o
ng
s
o
n
, had be
e
n
cut down
in
a
n horrific
accid
e
nt.
It
hurt
to
see
h
i
m
reduc
e
d
to
a wheel
c
h
air
for
m
o
st
of
the
d
a
y.
Hurt
h
e
r
to
see
h
is
left
h
and
c
u
rled
i
n
to
a