Chapter 15: Two Women

"No," I said.

"Britta..."

"I won't hit you."

"You owe me nothing, and I owe you five." Fiorella's voice rose. "I hit you in front of two men and a camera, and I never said I was sorry."

"You said it with your whole face. I saw it, and I didn't know what I was looking at."

"Then let me pay it."

"I was held down," I said. "I know what it's like to be the one who can't move. I won't be the one who puts that on you."

Her mouth shook.

I came around the island and put my arms around her.

She went stiff as a plank.

Then she folded in the middle and held on to my borrowed shirt with both small hands, and she cried without any sound.

I stood there and let her.

When it was over, she stepped back and wiped her face with the heel of her hand.

"I'm terrible at this," she said.

"I'm worse."

"You went through my room twice."

"I thought you were sleeping with my husband."

"You moved my jewelry box an inch to the left, both times." Fiorella sniffed. "I thought, either it's a thief or it's an engineer."

"It was an engineer."

"You also refolded my sweaters by color."

"They were in a drawer in no order at all."

"Because I was busy being terrified." She started to laugh, wetly, and so did I, and my split lip stung. "God. We have terrible taste in men."

"We married into the same house."

"Mine was good," Fiorella said, more quietly. "Then he died, and the house kept the other one."

The kitchen door banged.

Elio came in from the lawn with Brennan behind him, and a long gray goose feather in his fist.

He walked straight up to me and held it out.

"For the lady in the red coat," he said. "Brennan says geese won't bite if you stay calm."

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