Grace wondered if the

n the rise. Mrs. Sandova

asco. He was an artist,

Grace the man himself

wearing wrinkled sweat

air, café au lait skin, a

he'd opened the door, h

was hand

steering wheel. It didn

es best l

but a start, nonethele

irmed his need for a per

dn't been much of a chal

ers he'd put in a drawer

as an eye-opener. The

lored marble, polished n

cy toilet with a heate

he house had never bee

housand square feet wa

One large room was fur

o keep the man in shap

, and dirty clothing and towels on a red marble

dow treatments, each wit

nickel or burnish

had been the biggest su

suite into a cluttered w

ows, undoubtedly the rea

ed paint all over the b

like monstrous dust bun

the man own a

t, oil, turpentine. A c

iographies of famous pa

s sizes stood in Yuban

lined makeshift shelves

veral easels set up, eac

seen any work framed o

t like what he painted,

o

t use mud-colored pain

all? A five-gallon bucke

ed-up roller. He hadn'

sonal calls. All from w

em. One hung up;

ted call came from Tali

ted to know if Roman

ou

co is in h

on board. I've been a

nt for

d. The "boy" looked

s been buried under m

his momentum. He's hot

talent. I sold his last painting yesterday, and

painting? I keep telling

e studio while Talia t

se that size, but she di

er. She'd suggest a new

old and call him. He'd

e moment please." She h

s she's your bus

unched the button endin

ee. If she calls back, te

rt happy. If Hector Espino

-" He broke off abruptl

rst day o

l. Grace had gotten off

made it to Burbank. She'

ek, which wouldn't lea

How was she ever going

ot to let emotions take over. Sh

Eat di

hear. She'd been away f

hold him for

arms spread. He looked

soft blanket, she leaned

h today." She kissed his

g him sleep. Wiping tears

ut a plate of rice, cole

her as she took a seat at

the laun

ed and washed her dish

s clothes. Selah plucke

do it, chiquita. Go s

stung, but the implicat

had to do with Samuel

s it onto a pile of othe

she picked up

eel resentful. The Gar

When Grace told them

Selah told her she had t

but she seemed intent on

other fo

grateful.

she came into the liv

t work into somethi

rtist. He lives i

late getting home ton

as a volleyball game We

e by

f she couldn't make it b

nother evening with her son.enough

You live with th

ng her. He had every

ved after

e television news, rais

r. Alicia, a freshman in

ooms finishing homework

el t

him down at six." She

asher. "Your dinner is in

did it g

h him until something b

e Sam

g. Best to le

ly be a

Eat di

hear. She'd been away f

hold him for

arms spread. He looked

soft blanket, she leaned

h today." She kissed his

g him sleep. Wiping tears

ut a plate of rice, cole

her as she took a seat at

the laun

ed and washed her dish

s clothes. Selah plucke

do it, chiquita. Go s

stung, but the implicat

had to do with Samuel

s it onto a pile of othe

she picked up

eel resentful. The Gar

When Grace told them

Selah told her she had t

but she seemed intent on

other fo

grateful.

she came into the liv

t work into somethi

rtist. He lives i

late getting home ton

as a volleyball game We

e by

f she couldn't make it b

d she'd miss another

sier with Grace Moore

his coffee, and went to

old his calls. He told he

equently, wanting murals

-intensive and less luc

nv

directed. Did he want h

ayed for all to see? M

h he was being commiss

his own. He still occasi

tic graffiti, but with gro

angerous as

oman tried to fix his m

ast approaching. Don't t

ck. Concent

had taken the pressur

t to begin Roman's mura

Diego Zoo. Management h

ne complete with migra

the design on transfer p

g. Once Hector finished

fine detail work to br

il and flexed his cram

He'd been working since

ched while walking to th

t caught his eye, and

across the path down to

live long enough to move in.He'd been inside the

e he signed all the pape

ach cottage he'd sold fo

hich he'd sunk i

't get any further aw

know who he was anymo

st between the Bir

ce in order by the end

as an active but quiet pr

ing, she said she wanted

he knew where she was g

n't ha

the studio door

ime to talk no

ant to talk about." He

bout qu

u two weeks. You don't

al ass

way things a

lot of d

s you could do for me.

ill didn't trust him, bu

thing had been strictly

nted it. "Cooking, laundr

A cleaning service co

And I'm sure you could

sheets and m

"I don't usually invit

oman's home than as

e, Mr. Velasco."And yet she knew more a

e story. "Can we cut th

at first. Now it annoye

't spare the time right n

a

need a

ugh. "You live by

and she smiled back.

detail-o

tter than I do what I

ld her the closest sup

l times while she was

e front door chimes, too,

door, he took the two

could manage and hea

counter, Roman watche

and frozen dinners in the

. She'd bought orange jui

though he'd forgotten h

what h

he quickly folded the ba

o hit t

you were gone. I let th

nd it was almost five thi

orr

you s

G

losed behind her, Roman felt