Nah made breakfast for Allie while she slept in the living room. Ba, biscuits, and coffee, nothing spectacular. He set the tray beside her as she woke up, and as soon as they had finished eating, they made love again. It was relentless, a powerful firmation of what they had shared the day before. Allie arched her bad cried out fiercely in the final tidal wave of sensations, then ed her arms around him as they breathed in unison, exhausted.
They showered together, and afterward Allie put on her dress, which had dried ht.
She spent the m with Noah. Together they fed Clem and checked the windows to make sure no damage had been done iorm. Two pirees had blowhough her had caused much damage, and a few shingles屋頂板 had blown off the shed, but other than that, the property had escaped pretty muscathed.
He held her hand most of the m and the two talked easily, but sometimes he would stop speaking and just stare at her. When he did, she felt as though she should say something, but nothing meaningful ever came into her head. Lost in thought, she usually just kissed him.
A little before noon, Noah and Allie went in to prepare lunch. Both of them were starving again because they haden much the day before. Using what he had on hand, they fried some chi and baked another batch of biscuits, and the two of them ate on the porch, serenaded小夜曲; 情歌 by a mogbird.
While they were inside doing the dishes, they heard a knock at the door. Noah left Allie i.
Knock again.
"Im ing," Noah said. Knock, knock. Louder. He approached the door. Knock, knock.
"Im ing," he said again as he opehe door.
"Oh, my God."
He stared for a moment at a beautiful woman in her early fifties, a woman he would have reized anywhere.
Noah couldnt speak.
"Hello, Noah," she finally said.
Noah said nothing.
"May I e in?" she asked, her voice steady, revealing nothing.
He stammered out a reply as she walked past him, stopping just before the stairs.
"Who is it?" Allie shouted from the kit, and the woman tur the sound of her voice.
"Its your mother," Noah finally answered, and immediately after he said it, he heard the sound of breaking glass.
"I knew you would be here," Anne Nelson said to her daughter as the three of them sat around the coffee table in the living room.
"How could you be so sure?"
"Youre my daughter. One day when you have kids of your own, youll know the answer."
She smiled, but her manner was stiff, and Noah imagined how difficult this must be for her. "I saw the article, too, and I saw your rea. I also saw how tense youve been during the last couple of weeks, and when you said you were going shoppihe coast, I kly what you meant."
"What about Daddy?"
Anne Nelson shook her head. "No, I didnt tell your father or anyone else about it. Nor did I tell anyone where I was going today."
The table was silent for a moment as they wondered what was i, but Anne remained quiet.
"Why did you e?" Allie finally asked.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "I thought I would be the oo ask that question."
Allie paled.
"I came because I had to," her mother said, "which Im sure is the same reason you came. Am I right?"
Allie nodded.
Auro Noah. "These last couple of days must have been full of surprises."
"Yes," he answered simply, and she smiled at him.
"I know you dont think so, but I always liked you, Noah.