He's never been good at waking up quick and smooth. He's sluggish, first thing in amorning, and he wakes up by degrees. Seems that his hearing wakes up first; he becomes aware of her breathing next to him, and then he can smell her hair and feel her heartbeat with the hand that's come to rest between her breasts during the middle of the night ( Read more... )

He feels the change come over him the moment it happens; he doesn't need to look down to know what he'll be wearing. The flannel shirt is old and well-washed, the jeans torn out at the knee. There's a cheap tin star pinned to the pocket, a present from his Aunt Helen and, somewhere down the hall, his Momma is still alive, because it's a long time ( Read more... )

Rachel's told him that there are places on the island other than her hut where he can find a drink. It's his third day on the island, and he's spent some time on the beach, just looking at the sea. He grew up swimming in the creek, so the ocean is sort of inexplicable to him; he didn't get it in Miami and he doesn't get it here. He's wandered ( Read more... )