rontme.

    "Henry,IwanttotalktoyouaboutEddie.Doesheseemallrighttoyou?Theresbeenagelately,andsomething—Idontknow—notnormal."

    Icouldseehimoverhershoulder."Hesperfeormal."

    "Ormaybeitsyou,"shesaid."Youvebeendifferentwithhimlately.Overprotective,inghimbeakid.Heshouldbeoutdoorscatgpolliwogsandclimbingtrees,butitsasifyoureafraidofhimbeingoutofyht.Hehecetobeoreindepe."

    Ipulledherofftotheside,outofoursonshearing."Doyourememberthenightsomeonebrokeintothehouse?"

    "Ik,"shesaid."Yousaidnottoworry,butyouvebeenpreoccupiedwiththat,haventyou?"

    "No,no,Ijustremembered,whenIwaslookingatthephotographsonthewallsthatnight,itmademethinkofmyownchildhooddreams—yearsatthepiano,seargfortherightmusictoexpressmyself.Ihavebeenlookingfortheaess,andtheywererightundermyfiips.Todayinthechurch,theansoundedjustliketheo.Nicholassiheanistheahesymphony.anandorchestra."

    Sheedherarmsaroundmeandpulledherselfagainstmychest.Hereyeswerefulloflightandhope,andinallofmyseverallives,noonehadshownsuchfaithiheessenceofwhoIsideredmyselftobe.IwassoihheratthatmomentthatIfottheworldahinginit,andthatswhenInoticed,overhershoulder,oursonwasgone.Vanishedfromthespacewherehehadbeenstanding.Myfirstthoughtwasthathehadtiredofthetigersandwasnowunderfootornearby,readytobegustolethiminfrouphug.ThathopeevaporatedandlacedbythehorriblenotionthatEdwardhadsomehowsqueezedthroughthebarsandbeeninstaenbythetigers,butaquickglahei