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Part One

Chapter 1

2007

I woke up this ht that winter had returned Yesterday was nearly sixty degrees Still, anything can happen in March When I pulled back the curtains I saw that it wasn’t snow, but a low, blizzard-white hovering of fog, weighty as souls, settling on the city Adrian was still fast asleep beside ht it was snow,” I whispered He didn’t move

We were in his sister Alexa’s guestroom, clean blonde Scandinavian furniture with pale blue everything else We switch houses with her for a feeeks whenever she and Adrian get restless, which is at least a few tier stays each time At this point we leave our shampoo and soap in the bathroom here since we know its next visitors will probably be us I hate to sleep in e’re in Madison It feels like I a precious time

“Going out for a coffee,” I whispered tohusband

There is a clarity that co in the air that descraet so don Being here ain, and free of all the layers that pile up over tirubby When I am in Savannah, I feel co hi to hier, more independent Sometimes I feel like he and I have no connection whatsoever And I like it It’s like one less layer to weigh me down

I know I a the freedom to pretend I am not satisfied One part luxury, one part affliction, reserved exclusively for spoiled wives I suppose you could call it the burden of having everything; Instead of worrying about paying rent and finding love and being fat, I daydrea free

I arrived at the coffee shop, locked the bike to a bench outside it, and went inside Even though it was only eight o’clock in thearound with their laptops, connected to so instant I felt jealous, until I re to Yuck “No woman of mine will ever have to work,” Adrian told so (Normally he’s very refined, but people can be completely different when they’re intoxicated) I pretended to be horrified at his tackiness, but in reality it’s no

I turned away frohtdisplay It reminded me to pull back my messy hair into a ponytail

“What can I get you?” asked the boy behind the counter He was probably about nineteen He s a woman in her fifties with a briefcase who looked like she was ready to order

“Do you have any fair trade coffee?” I asked him