Michael Malone - Weebly

lights. She made the tasks last as long as possible, but
when the doors locked shut behind her, Abernathy still
stood with his wife beside the car. Mrs. Canopy still sat
inside it. Judith knew she could not simply remain
motionless on the steps, but nor could she force her
body to walk past the couple.
She must be insane; a week ago the man had barely
spoken to her.
Why should she feel so painfully deprived, so
unwilling a witness at this scene of marital intimacy? The
woman, his wife, reached out and enclosed Abernathy
in her arms. He put his arms around her, too.
They stood quietly, embracing each other, then his
wife took his hands, squeezed them in hers, turned
away, and got into the car. Her friend drove her quickly
away out of the circle. The lawyer stood, not watching
them, then—his hands feeling absently from one pocket
to another—he turned back toward his office door.
Only when he was inside did Mrs. Haig feel free to
pass his building. She hurried past it to the Tea Shoppe,
which regularly closed hours earlier but was now
unlocked. There were no customers there.