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Show Moon - 88 poised above her hair. His eyes looked worried, deep. His son Tommy, grown now into a young man, stood awkwardly behind him. "But you're looking marvelous! Look at those rosy cheeks!" It was Gloria, kneeling in front of her, fussing with the afghan, her bird-bright eyes darting around the room as if to assess how they would all fit. "James's letter worried us, but you're fine. That's clear. We brought you a roast. Do you have a decent oven?" She stood up and Anne saw with a certain satisfaction that she had become overweight. "Wake up for a bit, then come show me things," Gloria said, then hurried off to the kitchen. Anne could hear someone working the pump. More voices. Anne closed her eyes, waiting for them to come to her. They materialized before her in a clump, crowding between the rocking chair and the fire, and it took a moment to see them as separate people. There was Alice, who had not taken the time to put down the cake she was carrying; and her two daughters, who stared blankly at Anne because she was a stranger. Alice's husband Paul stood stiffly beside his wife, worked his collar as if to let his body breathe. He said diffidently, "Welcome back to America." Esther planted herself in the middle of the group, wearing an outrageous pink blouse that clashed with her red hair and looked very good. She widened her yellow eyes and then gave Anne a broad wink. For a moment the two of them shared some secret joke, and Anne nearly laughed aloud, though she had no idea what the joke might be about. She could hear Ruth's voice from the kitchen calling for someone to help her carry the potatoes. Anne had forgotten how loud her mother's voice could be. She heard James calling to the children. |