MALIA’S POV:

Malia played with a cat in the family’s courtyard, waiting for a sound she knew was coming. The cat pawed at her fingers, which she fluttered above its head. She let it grab them. Then she stroked its head. It purred, and she thought of Charles: when they had taken refuge from the storm, Hu and Gish’s cat had cuddled next to Charles. It was a warm and pleasant memory, though Malia made herself forget it. The time for the sound had almost ...