carl and lily b

Du r i ng th e fi rst in ni n g of t h e Wo r lan d L u th e ra n softb a ll g am e R e ver e nd C a rl s prai n ed an a nkle and L i ly F orre s t a w ri st . Th u s the y sat t her in t h e sm a l l st an d of b le ach e rs wa t chin g t he i r spo uses play th e ou tfiel d . T he y w er e e a ch i n t heir ea rly f orti e s ma rr ied to te a che r s; t hey h ad e ac h r ecen tly l ost a sibli ng t o ca nc er . A nd o ddly t h ey l o oke d al ike : s ix f e et tal wi th pa le eye s a ng ul ar f eatur es a nd lig ht h a ir. I n the ye a r s ince C arl had c om e to W orla n d w it h hi s w ifean d da ught er he h a d flot bee n a ble t o s to p th ink i ng of Lil y . e had t h e se ns e t hat h e a nd she h ad k n ow n e ach o t h er b efo re a n d h a d be e n wa iting fo r t hi s cha n ce wh ic h rn ig ht ne ve r h ave c om e a n d so h e ha d t ri cd to ke ep h is dist a nce . B u t w t h ey w er e th ro wn to g eth e r. In the A ug us t win d w i th the a ft ern o on sun slan t ing o ver th e dust y soft b all fi el d t h ey ta lk ed q uie t ly to ca c h o ther. A nd ev e n wh e n no t talk i ng th e ir sile n ce fe lt in t im a t e. Th re e w e eks la ter t h ey d ro ve se p ar a t ely to th e S u per o n Hi g h wa y 12 0 so uth o f C ody f rom w her c theyco u ld se e Y el low s to ne Regi onal A irpor t w i th the sm all pla n es ta k ing off a nd lan di ng. L il y ha d a r rive d f i rst a nd sto o d i n the s un lig h t in h e r jean s an d can v as ja ckct . w as a wee kday mo r n ing ; af ter w ard s he wo u lddriv e to her fa t her’ s ra n ch wh e re she w orl ce d now in p lac e o f h er b r oth er . “I r eg i st er e d fo r us ” s he to ld C arl . “I s a id w as Ma rg are t Fi n ch f r om S ioux F ali s So ut h Da k o ta.” M a rg ar e t Fin ch wa s t h e gra y -h e a de d s ec re t ar y Carl ha d i n heri t ed w ho h a d wo r ked at the ch u rch f o r t h irty y ea rs . “He r na m e ju st c am e i nto m yh e ad ” Lil y said . “ I on’t kn o w wh y. G uil t I gu e ss.” “D o yo u n t to r ec on sid er ” C arl fo rc ed him seif to s a y alt h oug h he c oul d n’t im a gin e gett in g back into h is c ar no w t ha t he h a d com e this fa r. No ”L ily s aid. “ d on ’t w an t to . Y ou can ta l k yo ur se lf o u t of an yt hi ng if y ou thi n k a bo u t it eno ugh. ” 5 T h ei r room w as o n th e e ast side of th em o tel on the fir s t f loo r a nd in t he mea d ow b ch i n d it lat e sum m e r c i cada s we re b uzz i ng . [ ...] I ns ide s he took off h e r ja ck et fo ld ed it i n h al f a nd lai d it ac ro ss t h e sm all tabl e . T h en she fi ng er ed th e c u ffs o f h e r g ray sw ea te r. H er b an g s we re cli p ped to on e s ide w i th a bro wn ba rr ett e a nd sh e w or e a sc a ra a de tail Ca r l w o uld n ’t ha v e n otic e d ha d flo t hi s d augh ter rec en tly ag a i nst her mo th er’ s w ish e s b eg u n ap plyi n g it e ach m or ni ng b efo r e le avin g fo r sc h ool. “W h at do w e d o no w ?” L il y s ai d whic h w as a relie f to h im . Th e clo sest he ha d com e t o bei ng un fa ithf u l w as with hi s s iste r’ s f ricnd D e br a H ardi n g w he n hi s s i ster w a s at the h o spic e an d t ha t had b e en j ust tcn m in ut es of ne c kin g a t th e fa r da rk e nd of a p ar k in g bt. 35 A t th e fu ne ra l th ey w er e b o th too e mb ar ras se d to lo ok a t e a ch o t her . L ily pull e d off h c r s we a ter u nd er w hic h she w ore a whi t ca m iso l e w ith l ac e a lo ng the

carl and lily b

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