a

Dante's cabin. For five days,

e horizon. He walked down to the town and returned with medi

t of my bed before heading rig

d why a half-frozen woman was dying on a

knees had gone down enough that I c

thoughts, I watc

or living, the other packed

hed. They barked at the bitter wind, but they sat

f motion, preparing a thick porridge in

d through bone and muscle without wasti

him on the third night. "Seven years

ag. "It is quiet," he murmured. "A ma

took the burner phone and w

o bars of signal near the town pos

box, letting the wind bit

g time, my thumb hove

led my moth

. Her voice sounded weary, lad

asked. "Carmela told me you

did not run away, Mom. Franco left me on th

e went

one brittle and dismissive. "Franco is a difficult

sickness rising in my thro

o has stress. He takes care of us. If you just gave him a chi

d in the cold air. I

half an hour, letting my mother

d chosen his mo

d in my numb hand. It

swer

ap speaker, her tone a confection of false

nt?" I asked, m

ew it was a prank. We all knew you would take it so seriously and run off. Give me

he last thread connecting me

me," I said quietly. "Pas

. "Three years of ma

d powered of

mountain trail to the cabin, a h

d, splitting logs wi

w my

not look at me, but turned and walked inside, returning a mome

threshold of the c

mbling bite

ver my eyelashes an

other wipin

ng the tree line, giving me the unb