blood smell, no basement. Hand-drawn charts of human meridians hung on

k to twenty, back to when her

f a rocking chair, followed

om barefoot and rushed d

ly swollen. Her grandfather, Cary Ashley. He had married into the Santos medical line, and Alexis had taken her grandmother's surname, Santos

nd hugged the old man's legs. She buried her face in his knees, and

ller, and his rough palm

iddo? Did you ha

grind herbs and pat her head. Alexis forced

very long dream. B

sharp glint flashing thr

boy said he's coming over today. Weren't

e exact day Bertrand used his mother's headache as an excuse to trick her into becoming the Williams f

rom outside the yard gate, follo

u home? I have somethi

oice, cloyi

fro

g, making all that rack

up and dusted

t. I'll go see w

nod

s you, Grandpa will blas

a pale pink ruffled dress, her blonde curls shining in the sun, the brown beauty mark under

locked on the outstretched hand, and s