”butitsool.”</p>
”no.”</p>
”””becauseshehanyou.whenyoure</p>
tyfive”shethatold.”</p>
”okay,ythinkaboutatattoo.not</p>
now.”</p>
”ithasnothingtodohage.ithastodohstyle.”</p>
”uhhuh,”saidraakesa</p>
statentthatyouynotakeattytyour</p>
heartonaparticularpersonorthingthatdoesntappreciatethatkind</p>
ofstatent.”</p>
”siy””since</p>
fifteenyearolddaughterisheadingstraightfortherealworld.”</p>
”tattoosarehot.allthekidshavethe”</p>
”notlydia.notshelly.</p>
nottheonesiseegettingoffthesanthacrossedher</p>
arandsankloof</p>
herhat.hopeheback,soundasleep.herhathad</p>
fallentotheside.</p>
rangalonghthe</p>
songstheyhadheardthatnight.shelovedherhat,lovedherboots,</p>
lovedhergirls.ifshehadtofallbehindinherwasfora</p>
goodcause.</p>
sheoing,hegirlswokeup</p>
lateandky.theypickedatbreakfastontheruhen</p>
nearlyssedthebus.racheladeit,</p>
andontslater,shestoodiudio</p>
andntallyoutlihehreeweeks.</p>
sheeetthegirls</p>
atthebusstopandhaveasnah.santhawas</p>
stillotookieit</p>
tis,beforethegirlinahuff.hopehung</p>
<she,too,disappeared.</p>
rachelspentanotherhouriudio.halfnvihatthe</p>
ottersoppedandputdiheoven.whenshe</p>
retuedtothestudio,itofillanothersortofneed.butthe</p>
otterscaughthereyeagain.shegaveherselfanotherhour.</p>
lnohatthehshe</p>
way.</p>
oere,shetoldherselffortheuteenthti.h</p>
alteatingglafieldsketdphotograph,sheusedthefine</p>
edgeofherpalettekoaddtexturetotheoilonhervas.the</p>
seaottersuringthe</p>
berandbaltblue,</p>
andhadfoundittoodark.usingraberarinebluewas</p>
perfect.</p>
”thebuzzerrang,”hopecalledfrohedoor.</p>
”thanks,honey,”rachelrred,addingseverallaststrokes.”will</p>
youtakethecasseroleoutandtuoffthegas””ialreadydid.”</p>
hopehersidenoudyingthevas.”ithoughtyouwere</p>
done.”</p>
”sothingright.”shestoodbackforalongerviewandwas</p>
satisfied.”better.”stilleyeingthevas,shesetherpalette</p>
aside,reachedforasolventcloth,andlean</p>
upandberightthere.”shelookedathope.”didsanthasetthe</p>
table””idid.”</p>
”shesonthephoneagain””still,”hopesaidsodrylythatrachel</p>
hadtokle.</p>
shehookedherbabysneelbowandgaveasqueeze.”five</p>
nutes,”shesaidahero</p>
...</p>