It has been a couple of weeks since Leif first kissed Bessie and she kissed him back. She sits on the backyard swing, observing her mother. Heather is crouched on the ground, engrossed in planting little pots of impatiens in various shades of salmon, lavender, and white under the shade of the cedar hedge that runs along the back of the yard. Her mother loves spring planting season. In the winter, she spends endless time pouring over gardening books and deciding what to grow the next year.
Watching her, Bessie can’t help but think about the upcoming trial of Terrance Blacksmith in Calgary six weeks from now. She’s nervous about testifying – scared to pieces, in fact – but she’s determined to find some justice for Ash and Jason and yes, herself. Get it over with. Unconsciously, she reaches
