Things Held Back

Leona's response came in four minutes.

I'll be ready at seven.

No questions. No request for more detail. The specific quality of someone who had learned, over the course of a year of things arriving without full warning, to receive the shape of what was coming before the content was complete.

Lenora put the phone down.

She sat at the desk until the light was fully morning.

Then she went to the sou