It all frightened her, even as she craved it, and as they’d neared Jesu’s on her way home, she’d seized on the idea that she should dip her oar into New York again, call Betty to see if anyone was waiting to see her work. Doing so did feel wrong, as if she’d been asked to protect an egg and instead had rolled it in front of an eighteen-wheeler yet she’d convinced herself that another layer of belief in her work would make her feel secure.
Random snowflakes swirled in the sunlight. Icicles dripped behind them. The screen door led to a storage room. Jesu and Annie kept the inside door open so family and friends would feel welcomed. Both had urged Agnes many times to walk in and say hello, but even today – especially today – she felt uncomfortable doing so. The house looked dark. She couldn
