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They marched the woodland like an army, cops led, flashlights swept, through the trees was the ocean, a long way down but the girl could not swim.
Behind, the sun fell with the building, dissecting the water with cuts of orange and purple and shades without name.
She watched her street till the end, till trees reached over and met on Pensacola, branches like hands, linked in prayer for the girl and her brother, and the unfurling tragedy that began long before either was born.
“I love you. I’m sorry.”
Thunderheads formed like gathered mistakes,
Better and worse. Bad and good. None of us are any one thing. We’re just a collection of the best and worst things we’ve done.
“I go to church but I don’t believe in God. He goes to prison but is not a criminal.”
Vincent King would die for this.
She chose memories of her mother with great care, seeking only the diamonds amongst a mountain of coal.
“Since when do you want to be like them? You’re an outlaw.” “I’m an outlaw.” She stepped into the snow.
“Grandpa. Wake up.”
“I don’t need anyone.” “I know. You’re the toughest girl I ever met. And the prettiest. And I know you’ll probably hit me but I think my world is infinitely better because you’re in it. Before it was just kids that laughed, pointed, whispered. But not now. And I know—” She kissed him then.
It was Walk who kept her from doing something foolish, he anchored her to the good, he kept her aimed toward the future instead of the now. Walk reminded her men could be all good.
Hal in every step she took,
“Happy birthday, Duchess.”
But not Sissy. Each time … each one of my breaths is stolen from her.”
“The boy shot his mother.”
I won’t let you carry me with you.” She gasped when he stepped back, his arms out as he took flight.
It played like a marriage, over twenty-odd years she’d come. Sometimes they didn’t speak, at the start, just watched each other, she was all fire, burning up, and he’d look at her like she was placed on this earth just for him.”
Vincent didn’t want that, not for her, not for his children.”
She and her brother were born of the most unbreakable love.
She cried for everything she had lost, and everything he had found.
Duchess pressed her palm to the glass, and said goodbye to her brother.
She led with her father, the outlaw, Vincent King.
