Chapter 26R
ita isn’t at all surprised at the turn of events, just at how little time it took for Vincent’s resolve to collapse. Though Connie and the girls are a welcome relief to Rita’s solitude, her funds are diminishing faster than she dreamed possible, between her expanding household and supplementing donations to Loaves, which somehow seem to fall short every month. Still, there’s no way she can turn her back on the children.
Anna and Ceci are fascinated by the transformation of their winter playground. Rita becomes the carefree girl she never was, exploring the grounds with them, lying in dense thickets of cool green caves, the leaf canopies carving the sky into blue squiggles, the grass like lush carpets speckled with tiny violets, wildflower wisps.
Outdoors—reading a book under
