roof system. At precisely 8:47 on a Tuesday m

, and left the kitchen before he emerged. She wanted no awkw

however, her

n for coffee. At the corner, her fuzzy s

othing whatsoever except a thick whi

encounter had left her speechless; this tim

mi

rd the ceiling, then snapped right ba

t you wer

've missed today's

shirt from a nearby chair and pulled it o

htly. It was a futile effort. A sof

demanded, h

like a deer caught in

id n

h for her coffee mug. "Don't worry, Mr. Walker. Yo

ug down the hall,

for the first time since signing their pact, the apartment had fe

warmth fading. A few seconds of unintended phys

a long filament of copper wire resting across an unfinished sket

lding two heavy paper bags from

takeout cartons in the recycling bin is rather difficul

hen currently consists of one lonely pan,

hen, apparently confronting its inadequa

ingredients. Ma

buy

efuse to let every ordinary nece

hen," he

and never used. It was the kind of idle chatter Ethan had sa

stant noodles," he said quietl

ly close to sounding like

g like a man

e touched the cor

ying heavy grocery bags, a box of professi

self properly," he announced. "Not b

okbook. "Then you'll just

know how

o I. Wash

r as if she had

nstruction,

is jaw. He rolled up h

rd, studying the peeled onion as if it were a leg

of these pieces are diced. The rest

k. "Are you always this

ptionally promi

f his laugh caught them b

er forearm brushed against his, and both of them locked into place. W

t and became intensely, desperately fascin

Ethan ate every bit

to enjoy my company," he sa

t prete

ery single ti

Ethan. There is a m

y marry me?" he as

ose raw

Evelyn looked at me as if I were still a human being worth believing in. She threw me a lifeline, and I g

tilled agains

orld fell apart, she was ther

't your cho

N

ose we're bo

e w

et Emily felt its weight crush against her

cold," she murmured,

bookstore to find a small, neatly wrapped box on her bed, h

ee constructed entir

one side, a clumsy kink near the base proving the wir

th was a folded

sketchbook. I tried making one

ad simply looked, remembered, and spent hours trying to rec

ced it on her nightstand, adjusting it until i

el she wasn't absorbing when a soft click echoed from across the h

holding h

e other side of the wood with his hand raised, searchi

nock

ng seconds, the foots

crooked copper tree catchin

as t

crooked handmade gift couldn't erase the contract in her drawer.

e lamp, a terrifying realizat

ndered if six months would be anywhere near