20
She lingered outside until the cold drove her back indoors, then loitered near the door until she noticed other people begin to wander off toward bed. There were no clocks here, either, but she could guess at the time. It was that point where some people decry the lateness of the hour and others feel the night has just begun.
For her part, Sara had always been the girl on the edge of the party, so this was a familiar role. Perhaps, she thought as she began to walk through the resumed drizzle, that’s all this event had been—everyone assuming their preferred roles, whether they knew it or not.
Alexa did not return with her, but she hadn’t expected her to.
Sara fell asleep in her new pajamas in her new bed with the window cracked open to let in the cold sea breeze. She’d always dreamed
