ebrushandhidourselvesbehaskirtoftrees.

    Twoyoungmenandayoungwoman,capsupontheirheads,hugebackpacksstrappedattheshoulders,walkedon,cheerfulandoblivious.Theystrolledpasttherowsofplantsandus.Thefirstmanhadhiseyeontheworldahead.Thesedperson—thegirl—hadhereyeonhim,ahirdmanhadhiseyeonherbackside.Thoughlost,heseemediohing.Wefollowedsafelybehind,andtheyeventuallysettleddownahillawaytodrinktheirbottledwater,untheirdybars,andlightentheirloads.Thefirstmantookoutabookandreadsomethingfromittothegirl,whilethethirdhikerwentoffbehireestorelievehimself.Hewasgonealongtime,forthemanwiththebookhadtheotonlytofinishhispoembuttokissthegirl,aswell.Whentheirsmallinterludeehethreesomestrappedontheirgearandmarchedaaitedadetspellbeforerunningtothespottheyhadvacated.

    Twoemptywaterbottleslitteredtheground,andLuchógsnatchedthemupandfoundtheearby.Theyhaddiscardedthecellophaneersfromtheirsnacks,andtheboyhadlefthisslimvolumeofpoemslyingonthegrass.Chavisaveittome.TheBlueEstuariesbyLouiseBogan.IleafedthroughafewpagesandstoppedatthephraseThatmorethingsmove/Thanbloodintheheart.

    "Speck,"Isaidtomyself.Ihadnotsaidhernamealoudinages,iuries.

    "Whatisit,Aniday?"Chavisoryasked.

    "Iamtryingtoremember."

    Thefourofuswalkedbacktothegarden.Ituroseeifmyradeswerefollowingthesamepath,onlytodiscoverLuchógandChavisory,walkingstepbygiep,holdinghands.MythoughtsfloodedwithSpeck.Ifeltaofindheragain,ifonlytouandwhyshehadgoellherhowtheprivateversationsofmymiillwithher.