She recalled falling asleep in her bed that night feeling loved. Safe.

Completely sure there would be no hitting and screaming and shouting that night. Because it was just her mother and her.

Kat sat for a long while cross-legged on the floor, realizing that BettyAnn might have been free to be herself with Kat only when Virgil was away. Kat's heart constricted with sadnessit must have been hell to be so squashed by a man like that. To think, BettyAnn couldn't even express love to her daughter without facing his jealous rage. Why didn't BettyAnn leave? Why wasn't she ever strong enough to leave and take Kat with her?

But she had saved all these treasured mementos of their time together.

She'd loved Kat. She really had. And being able to see that calmed Kat's spirit. Gingerly, she draped the coat over her shoulders and went rooting through the resther prized one-eyed stuffed bunny that she'd inexplicably named Cher; drawings from kindergarten all the way to Kat's tenth-grade autumn art show, where she'd done a mixed-media collage that she had to admit wasn't half-bad. Maybe she'd get it framed. Other than that, the box was chock-full of old books. Except for something shiny she noticed at the very bottom.

Her charm bracelet, from that very same day! It dangled with a roller skate, an LP, a paintbrush, a telephone, a softball, and a heart. With trembling fingers, Kat worked diligently to get the bracelet around her adult-sized wrist. It fit.

She was charged up by these amazing discoveries, and curious what the other two boxes contained. With the coat still draped on her shoulders, she grabbed a pair of scissors and returned to the attic door. She sliced open the box on the second step, peered inside, and found school yearbooks, records and tapes, and every report card she'd ever brought home. It all made Kat smile, but in her heart she also felt disappointmentobviously, the box containing her coat had been the one filled with a personal message from mother to daughter.

Suddenly, she felt tired, and told herself she'd get to the last box some other time. With her charm bracelet dangling on her wrist and the dusty red coat and one-eyed Cher clutched tight, Kat climbed under the covers and slept. No nightmares. Just blessed sleep.

Are you sure about this? Riley's legs were much longer than Kat's, but he had to walk at a fast clip to keep up with her.

Oh, I'm positive, she said, barreling up Main Street.

Even though it was a Sunday, the downtown was busy with students and locals, and many of them had stopped to ask Kat questions about the upcoming clinic benefit. Riley was flabbergasted at how Kat had whipped together something so complex in such a short time. From what he could tell, half the town was involved. He wondered if maybe Kat should ditch the psychology degree and just go straight to being the president's chief of staff.

You were right, Riley, she said, gaining steam as she headed to the intersection of Forest Drive. He can't hurt me anymore, and I can't believe I've been here almost three weeks and I'm just now believing that!

Riley didn't have a good feeling about this. I take it he has no idea we're coming.

I don't think he's gonna have many scheduling conflicts, Kat said sarcastically.

Riley didn't respond. They kept walking. He glanced over to Kat, shoulders back, head up, feet a blur. Eventually he figured he should bring up another possibility. He might not be feeling well.

Her eyes flashed.

He's missed two appointments now. The guy's had an angioplasty and needs follow-up care with his cardiologists but refuses to go.

Have you called Rita?

Riley nodded. She told my nurse that she's happy to drive him and has offered to do so, but he tells her he's too busy.

Kat laughed. It guess it takes real time and effort to be the biggest asshole in the state of West Virginia.

Kat. Riley reached for her arm, stopping her.

She shrugged away from his grasp. Yes?

Are you sure you want to approach him like this?

She put her hands on her hips and looked peeved. What do you mean?

Look at youyou've been going non-stop lately and now you're charging over there to tackle your father like he was just another item on your to-do list.

She blinked at him. If you didn't want to come with me, all you had to do was say so.

Riley looked up to the sky to ask for patience. When his gaze returned to earth again, Kat's demeanor had changed. She took his hand.

You're right, Riley. She brushed her fingers over the tops of his. I am pretty jazzed right now, but I think it's time to start talking with him. As Rita said, he won't be around forever. Kat looked up at Riley with sadness in her eyes. Please come with me, she said. I could use your support.

Riley gave Kat the tightest squeeze he could without cracking her spine, lifted her up, and kissed her. It's a deal, he said, putting her back down on the pavement. All I ask is that you take it slow. You don't have to try to right every wrong in one visit.

I hear you, she said.

A few minutes later they stood on the walkway leading up to the front stoop. Kat took several steps forward, pulled the storm door away, and knocked firmly on the wooden door. When she got no response, she knocked again, this time somewhat more firmly. The third time was a straight-out pound.

Kat?

She didn't answer Riley. She let the metal storm door slam shut, its spring mechanism busted.

Riley was about to suggest they try the back when Kat headed across the yard toward the back gate. Riley jogged to catch up before she reached the kitchen entrance. This time, she skipped the warming-up knock and went straight to the pounding.

The door flung open. They both gasped. Riley wasn't sure what he was seeing, and reached for his cell to call EMS.

What do you want? Virgil looked like a ghost. His face, neck, chest, arms, and hands were covered in a coating of fine white powder. His eyes seemed to pop from his colorless face, pink-rimmed and crazed.

Kat turned to Riley and said matter-of-factly, Marble dust.

Riley put his phone away.

Well? Virgil looked at each of them like they were strangers. I'm on lunch break. I'm busy. What the hell is it?

I wanted to talk to you for a minute, Kat said. Ever hear of calling in advance?

Riley noticed that Virgil's hands shook and he was unsteady on his feet.

Would you have answered? Kat asked.

Fuck, no.

Riley knew that if Virgil had decided to pick up the bottle again after twenty years of sobriety, he'd be a human grenade with the pin already pulled. Not only did he get violent when he drank; he also was on a laundry list of meds that would lose their efficacy when combined with alcohol, if not create a toxic soup in his bloodstream. His third heart attack would be just around the corner.

Did you ever stop drinking, Dad? Kat asked the question with such innocent disappointment that it broke Riley's heart.

Virgil grunted. He wrapped his white claw around the door and stepped outside, then took a wobbly step toward Kat. I don't know. Did you ever stop being a whore?

Riley was a nanosecond from kicking the old man's feeble ass when Kat quietly moved closer to her father and reached for his hand. Riley hadn't known what to expect, but what Kat did was the last thing in the world he would have imaginedshe leaned in and kissed Virgil's cheek. He was as stunned as Riley was.

I was really hoping we could talk some things through, Kat continued. I have some questions I wanted to ask you about what happened when I was a kid. I even thought Her eyes flashed to Riley as if to warn him that she was pulling out the big guns. I thought if the talk went well, and if you felt up to it, you could join us for Thanksgiving dinner.