“A gift.” She set them in her basket and turned the tag under with her thumb.

Two hundred and forty dollars, before she hid it.

“For someone who’s been good to us.”

I pulled a box off the shelf and sat down on the bench to try one on.

The left boot went on hard and pinched across the top of my foot.

“Gemma says there isn’t a new family thread.”

“She’d know.”

“Nine days out.