Chapter 13. Something Was Happening

Anna was happy again. This surprised her, as she had thought it impossible. Allister was now sitting down and spending even more time with her. He talked to her about things she didn't understand, but liked to hear anyway, and didn't ask her to leave when she had problems to solve, as he did when she was healthy. His son appeared three times. The look in his eyes was still cold, but there was no longer as much anger in them. His wife also came to visit him. More often than his son.

  “You need to renew your closet, Anna. I've already decorated all your clothes.” All's wife said one afternoon, after sitting down with a magazine in her hands, as she always did, and reading as if she wasn't in the room.

  She ignored Anna's presence so naturally that Anna came to believe that she herself was some invisible friend of All's, so surprised was she by his wife's words that it took her a while to realize that it was her she was talking to.

  “Excuse me?” That