4
The glass walls of the solarium extended from the back of the house. It glowed alone on the darkened lawn, like a ferry mid-crossing. We could see the dining table as we approached, a uniformed woman standing by a sideboard covered with bottles, and a tame forest of potted trees that circled the room, their leaves lit from below by candles and lamps. No one else was there. We were the first to arrive. Max paused outside and took two deep breaths. The night was dry and eddies of sage drifted around us. She looked at me and squeezed both my shoulders and then hugged me.
‘Jesus,’ she said.
‘It’ll be all right,’ I said. ‘All they can do is be horrible. And who cares?’
‘They could be horrible to you.’
‘Isn’t that what I came for?’ I said. I was relieved to be leaned on. I would fight the
