“I’m going to do the books in the foyer,” Cherry said.
“Yeah. All right.”
Cherry walked away. Stevie stayed right next to Tom, looking up at him the way she had when she was a puppy. Like she was awaiting instructions.
Cherry got another cup of coffee and built another box. The books were easier to sort than the movies. Either Tom had read them or Cherry had. She filled two boxes in minutes, then called into the living room—“Do you have more boxes?”
“In the car,” Tom said. He walked into the foyer. “I’ll go get them.”
He came back with two more packs and opened one, starting to build out the boxes. Cherry felt like he was watching her. When she looked over, he was frowning over one of the boxes of books that she’d packed.
“Are these mine or yours?” he asked.
“Yours.”
“Don’t give me the Tolkien books. Those are special editions.”
“You love them more than I do.”
Tom let his arms hang. “You’re arguing that I loveThe Lord of the Ringsmore than you?”
“You reread them every other year.”
“Cherry, you said that if you ever got a tattoo, it would be that Frodo Baggins quote.”
“I will take the ring,” Cherry thought, “though I do not know the way.”
“Yeah,” she said, “but I didn’t get it.”
Tom tookThe Hobbitout of the box and set it back on a shelf, shaking his head. His curls wobbled.
“Fine,” Cherry said sharply, “but you’re just going to have to buy the whole series the next time you want to read them.”
“Yeah, where am I going to find theLord of the Ringsbooks.” He putFellowship of theRingback, too. His hand stayed on the shelf. He laughed gruffly. “I thought we were going to fight over things youdidn’twant me to take.”
Cherry rubbed her face. Her hands were dusty. “I can’t think of anything in the house I’d fight for,” she muttered. “Can you?”
He looked over at her. His chin was pushed out. “The exit sign I found on eBay, from the old Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland.”
Cherry’s head jerked up, alarmed. “You want that?”
“No,” he said. “But I think you’d fight me for it.”
She would have, five minutes ago. But now... “No. You take it.”
“Cherry, I don’t want it.”
“You’re the one who found it.”
“It was agift,” Tom said.
It was an anniversary gift. He’d spent five hundred dollars on it, back when five hundred was an awful lot of dollars for them to spend on anything. Cherry was crazy about the Country Bears. The sign had hung inside the front door of their old apartment, and now it was in the kitchen, by the back door. It said,We Hope That You’ll Be Coming Back Again.Cherry wanted to go into the kitchen right now and take it down.
“Just let me finish sorting the books,” she said. “I don’t want to fight.”
“Yeah,” Tom said. “Okay.” He walked back to the living room. Cherry stared at the bookshelves for a few minutes, then went outside to sit on the front steps. It was too cold to be out here without a sweatshirt, but she needed some distance.
After a little while, Tom came out.
