No, books. She would have maybe twenty going at a time, lying all over our house--on the kitchen table, by her bed, the bathroom, our car, her bags, a little stack at the edge of each stair. And she'd use anything she could find for a bookmark. My missing sock, an apple core, her reading glasses, another book, a fork.

I would love to say how nice it is to see you again, but that would be a lie. And I am nothing if not honest.

We are given to the great, for great purpose, to great ends. We are given to the grave, for grave purposes, to grave ends.

There wasn't enough chocolate in the world to make this better.

No, books. She would have maybe twenty going at a time, lying all over our house--on the kitchen table, by her bed, the bathroom, our car, her bags, a little stack at the edge of each stair. And she'd use anything she could find for a bookmark. My missing sock, an apple core, her reading glasses, another book, a fork.

Aw, come on. I barely speak English, unless we're talking about the Lowcountry kind.

Lena made a face. She almost never wore makeup; she didn't have to. "You know, it's not like we all sign a contract with Maybelline when we turn thirteen.