The warthog that Seamus had bought Rory was bossing around Mouse, Elsie Cow and Belle’s new squid, Squish. Finally, Lauren came home. Seamus nodded toward Belle’s room, so that Lauren would know they weren’t alone. “Shall we go upstairs to talk?” Lauren gave him a wary look, and he thought how pretty she was and how much she looked like Janine. A spark went through him as he remembered Janine’s laughter, her silly streak, vibrancy in the midst of her usual anger and fear. “Yesss,” Lauren said with effort, drawing out the word. Still wearing her parka, she followed him up the stairs and down the hall to an unoccupied bedroom with its single bed, its vanity table and two chairs by the filmy curtains. Seamus walked to one of the chairs and sat down. Lauren sat on the bed, beside the door, ready to flee. He’d done little in the past hour but think—about Rory and the possibility of her living with them in Telluride, but mostly about what he had to say to Lauren and the rules and restrictions he needed to impose.
