She was sitting on the crumpled autumn leaves and fading grass of a small park. She was leaning against the trunk of a tree, with Lucy and Soledad close, holding on to her, listening to her. She remembered that the two of them had put their arms around her, walked her there, and made her sit, while she talked and talked and talked. A short distance away, a play area was filled with small children and their caretakers. Raucous shouts drifted to her ears, but seemed unreal. She tried to smile. Lucy, looking at her, shook her head. “It’s all right,” Lucy said. “We’re here.” Fenella said hoarsely, “Thank you.” How had she gotten so lost in the past? She slowly let go of her leaf, which she discovered she had been clutching in her lap. It uncurled and lay on her knee, unharmed. “I have to stop talking.” Lucy put a gentle hand on Fenella’s forearm. “Take all the time you need.” Soledad put her elbows on her knees and buried her hands in her hair. “I knew Padraig too.
