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fourteen years, the Montgomery’s had been all they had.
    “I know you appreciate it, but it was never even. We benefited far more than you.”
    Liberty raised her eyebrows, “How so? You mean after the accident?”
    They’d first met during a snowstorm. She and Nathaniel had been hunkered down in a small cave not too far from Proem, when Mitch and Ellie’s truck lost control on the dirt road.
    “You sheltered and gave us life. Gave Kevin life.”
    Sheltered, yes. It was a moment she’d never forget. Unconscious and slumped together, their white auras shined out through the windshield like two fallen stars. Or angels. She’d convinced Nathaniel to bring them inside their cave.
    But Kevin hadn’t been with them that night. She wondered if the disease had leaked into Mitch’s brain, had burned his memories away like acid.
    “Honey, I think you’re confused. Kevin stayed on campus that year. Remember? Only you and Ellie were in the truck.”
    He shook his head. He tried to keep a cough inside and sounded like a cat getting ready to hack up a fur ball.
    “No, no.” She snagged a tissue off his bedside table and gave it to him. “Here. You let it out. It’s not good to keep stuff inside.”
    He did, and after a sip of water he started to talk again. “It’s complicated. Much rather you and Nathaniel are together when it comes time for me to tell it.”
    She reminded herself the nurse said he might not make a lot of sense in the last days, so she tried not to let the confusion show on her face.
    “That’s fine with me. You rest up and Nathaniel and I will come visit together. Real soon, okay?” Liberty smiled and gave him a gentle hug.
    Mitch nodded. “You watch the rest before you go.” He pressed another button.
    She feigned giddiness, clapping her hands together. “Yes, I want to see them all. I can’t wait for Nathaniel to see it, too.”
    Images passed by. Ellie teaching Liberty to play pool. The two of them sitting together as they shucked corn. Sage wearing a fake mustache. Then one made Liberty pause.
    “Hold up, Mitch. Can you go back to the last one?”
    The pictures had begun to repeat, anyway. Mitch brought back the final picture of the slideshow.
    “Yeah, that’s it. Pause it?”
    He did. “What is it?”
    Sage looked back from the screen. By the looks of it, the shot hadn’t been taken long before she’d disappeared. And Liberty hadn’t been there.
    She pointed at the screen. “When was this?”
    Sage leaned one hip against the pool table, arms crossed, a bag or purse of some kind rested on the floor next to her feet. Even the clothes and jewelry weren’t familiar.
    A fleeting look of confusion crossed Mitch’s face and then recognition. “Oh, I think that was last fall. Just before…” He waved his hand. “You know.”
    She knew. Before they lost her. “Did Ellie take it?”
    “I guess so. You know how those two liked to play dress up.”
    Huh. Why hadn’t Sage mentioned it? “What’s she wearing?” Liberty motioned toward the screen. “I don’t recognize any of it.”
    When Sage had played dress-up as a child, it was usually in heels too big for her, bright red lipstick, and long chiffon gowns from Ellie’s younger days. In this picture she wore a white top and hooded sweater, and what appeared like dark blue jeans tucked into fur-lined boots. The photo was taken from a distance, and the lighting was poor, so Liberty couldn’t begin to count how many, but Sage had on several necklaces, bracelets, and a couple of rings. Her hair was tucked behind one ear, exposing an earring.
    She squinted and pointed at the silver hoop dangling from a lobe. “Sage’s ears weren’t pierced, Mitch.”
    “No?” He raised his brows, pondered it. “Probably some of those clip earrings Ellie had.”
    Liberty nodded. Had to be. But why wasn’t Sage smiling? Liberty traced around the image on the screen. “She looks sort of sad, doesn’t she?”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” he said.