Laelynn wakes when a truck passes beneath her open bedroom window. She stretches in bed and rubs her eyes, trying to remember something important. Morning’s only sign are the echoing calls of roosters, doves, and street cats. Although she was accustomed to wake and pitch early into ranch work, Laelynn feels the darkness that surrounds her in the hour before sunrise. She shivers underneath the bed’s covers. Finally remembering the importance of waking early, she dresses for a hike and swim. Then, when closing the window in case of rain, she sees her uncle’s Buick parked on the main street below. Unsure of its meaning, she switches her thoughts back to Merlina, tiptoeing through the apartment and down the stairs.
By the time Laelynn closes the shop’s door behind her, the Buick is gone. A hi
