ribbons of pink across the gray sky. The yard smelled of grass and sweet fruit. Sparky sniffed around the orchard, intent on something only he could detect.
Cooper turned to her with a smile. “Morning.”
“Morning,” she said. “Looks like hard work.”
He wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Chop your own wood and it’ll warm you twice.’”
Anna smiled and set her coffee mug on the table. “Can I try?”
He handed her the ax, which was heavier than she expected. She held it over her head and brought it down. She missed the stump entirely, and the blade sunk into the grass next to it.
“Don’t cut off your foot,” Cooper said. “We need all of those we can get.”
“That’s so much harder than it looks. I’ll stick with collecting eggs.”
She handed back the ax, grabbed a metal bucket, and went to the chicken coop, where the chickens curled into their nests at night. She reached under one and took the egg, feeling like a thief. The chicken shared this view and pecked her hand. “Ouch.” She looked at the triangular red mark on her knuckle. She moved a lot quicker with the next chicken.
As the sky brightened, De’Andre, Lamar, and a few other teenagers came over. They worked for a couple hours in the morning before going to school. The kids goofed around a lot and teased Cooper about his pretty blond houseguests, but they also got a surprising amount of chores done.
On the empty lot across the street, Cooper ran a community garden, where anyone could plant rows of vegetables or flowers. A posh riding club in Grosse Pointe donated manure for fertilizer. Anna delivered a wheelbarrow of the stinky stuff and met some of the neighbors who were tending their beds: a retired autoworker, a minister running a storefront church, a local teacher—all of whom professed their ardent love for Cooper. She was glad he had some neighbors who cared for him here.
When Anna finished the morning chores and returned to the bedroom, Jody sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She wore no makeup, and the morning sun lit up her hair in an angelic glow. She looked like the cheerful little girl Anna had always known, not someone who could kill a man. Certainly, she could not have killed a man. Right?
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Anna said. Jody waved a sleepy hello. Anna took a shower, then put on a navy sundress and tan espadrilles. She started down the stairs, then changed her mind and returned to the bathroom. Jody was standing at the sink, squeezing toothpaste on a toothbrush. “Sorry, I’ll just be a sec,” Anna said. They shared the mirror as Anna put on mascara and then lipgloss. She put her hair up in a ponytail but decided that looked too harsh.She tried it halfway up. Jody brushed her teeth and watched Anna with amusement.
“What?” Anna said.
“You don’t wear makeup that often,” Jody spoke around the toothbrush. “Or fiddle with your hair.”
“So?”
“So”—Jody spit the minty foam—“Cooper would make an excellent rebound for you.”
“Stop. We’ve been friends forever.”
“Exactly.” Jody pointed her toothbrush toward the ceiling like an exclamation point.
“I don’t want to use him. He’s been through enough.”
“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind being ‘used’ that way.”
“My wedding would’ve been in four weeks.”
“But it’s not. You’re a free woman.” Jody rinsed her toothbrush. “Wear your hair down. You look really pretty like that.”
Anna took out the hair band, and let her hair fall to her shoulders.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Jody said. “Rrowr.”
Laughing, Anna decided she was done with her primping.
At the top of the steps, she looked down and saw Cooper standing on the white tarp in the foyer. He wore a dark suit and narrow black tie. His dark hair was damp and neatly combed, and his cheeks were shaved. He stood before a mirror, struggling with his tie.
“You want help with that?” she asked,
Cooper turned to her with a smile. “Morning.”
“Morning,” she said. “Looks like hard work.”
He wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Chop your own wood and it’ll warm you twice.’”
Anna smiled and set her coffee mug on the table. “Can I try?”
He handed her the ax, which was heavier than she expected. She held it over her head and brought it down. She missed the stump entirely, and the blade sunk into the grass next to it.
“Don’t cut off your foot,” Cooper said. “We need all of those we can get.”
“That’s so much harder than it looks. I’ll stick with collecting eggs.”
She handed back the ax, grabbed a metal bucket, and went to the chicken coop, where the chickens curled into their nests at night. She reached under one and took the egg, feeling like a thief. The chicken shared this view and pecked her hand. “Ouch.” She looked at the triangular red mark on her knuckle. She moved a lot quicker with the next chicken.
As the sky brightened, De’Andre, Lamar, and a few other teenagers came over. They worked for a couple hours in the morning before going to school. The kids goofed around a lot and teased Cooper about his pretty blond houseguests, but they also got a surprising amount of chores done.
On the empty lot across the street, Cooper ran a community garden, where anyone could plant rows of vegetables or flowers. A posh riding club in Grosse Pointe donated manure for fertilizer. Anna delivered a wheelbarrow of the stinky stuff and met some of the neighbors who were tending their beds: a retired autoworker, a minister running a storefront church, a local teacher—all of whom professed their ardent love for Cooper. She was glad he had some neighbors who cared for him here.
When Anna finished the morning chores and returned to the bedroom, Jody sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She wore no makeup, and the morning sun lit up her hair in an angelic glow. She looked like the cheerful little girl Anna had always known, not someone who could kill a man. Certainly, she could not have killed a man. Right?
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Anna said. Jody waved a sleepy hello. Anna took a shower, then put on a navy sundress and tan espadrilles. She started down the stairs, then changed her mind and returned to the bathroom. Jody was standing at the sink, squeezing toothpaste on a toothbrush. “Sorry, I’ll just be a sec,” Anna said. They shared the mirror as Anna put on mascara and then lipgloss. She put her hair up in a ponytail but decided that looked too harsh.She tried it halfway up. Jody brushed her teeth and watched Anna with amusement.
“What?” Anna said.
“You don’t wear makeup that often,” Jody spoke around the toothbrush. “Or fiddle with your hair.”
“So?”
“So”—Jody spit the minty foam—“Cooper would make an excellent rebound for you.”
“Stop. We’ve been friends forever.”
“Exactly.” Jody pointed her toothbrush toward the ceiling like an exclamation point.
“I don’t want to use him. He’s been through enough.”
“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind being ‘used’ that way.”
“My wedding would’ve been in four weeks.”
“But it’s not. You’re a free woman.” Jody rinsed her toothbrush. “Wear your hair down. You look really pretty like that.”
Anna took out the hair band, and let her hair fall to her shoulders.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Jody said. “Rrowr.”
Laughing, Anna decided she was done with her primping.
At the top of the steps, she looked down and saw Cooper standing on the white tarp in the foyer. He wore a dark suit and narrow black tie. His dark hair was damp and neatly combed, and his cheeks were shaved. He stood before a mirror, struggling with his tie.
“You want help with that?” she asked,
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