Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

Washington. I unhooked my car from Uncle Palaver's motor home and brought it around to the front of the

house.

"Where you headed?" Trevor asked. I told him

and explained why.

"Can't blame the girl. I guess," he said. "After

you lose someone you love or someone who loves

you, you'd forgive them all their sins and

imperfections if you could have them back. You'd

even make a deal with the devil."

"That's who Echo would have to speak to about

her mother," I told him, and he laughed.

"Have a good time," he said, and returned to his

favorite work. I realized it was work that kept him in

close contact with the best memories of his life. It was

truly a labor of love, and despite all the complaining

Mrs. Westington voiced about it, she was happy for

him, maybe even envious. I wished I could find a way

to reconnect with my good memories, too, reconnect

without all the baggage of sadness that accompanied

them.

I honked the horn and Mrs. Westington brought

Echo out. She had helped her choose one of her new

skirt and blouse outfits and she did look pretty. It was

a partly sunny day with high brisk winds smearing the

clouds over the blue sky so that they thinned out and spread like tattered white cloth toward the southwest. Sunlight brought a brightness to her face the way it

would open a flower.

Echo got into the car. She was very excited

now, the short trip truly a major adventure in her eyes

because it was just the two of us. She watched me

drive and then told me Tyler had promised that soon