My spirit is heavy with the time I squandered driving in first gear, one light shining dimly to dispel the darkness, all the way holding on to the promise my ancestors cherished that love always is.

Claire returned the reply that was expected of her. It was like a secret understanding, this exchange of phrases between the two of them, whose meaning, though obscure, had acquired almost ceremonial significance with the passing of years. “There are no shadows other than the ones we cast.”