But if they were, I would've found them. Last night or the night before or the night before. I would've tasted them the very first time I lifted her onto her bathroom sink.
But I didn't notice a goddamn thing.
Finally, Rufus spots me and leaps off the couch to weasel between my legs. Nova jolts in surprise at first. But when she sees who it is, she grins, reaching with wet nails for the remote to turn off the speakers.
That joy, that hope, that light in her eyes as she recognizes me---it all does something, some unholy f*****g thing to the gaping hole in my chest where most people have a heart. It's like a living creature in me that's been dormant since the day my father showed me that video comes to life again.
Then I picture Katerina slipping the burner phone into Nova's hand.
And I
