“South,” she says, smiling at them. “Where the whales are.”
The two girls run off, holding hands and giggling. For a moment, she stands still and looks after them. It happens often, more and more it seems, that she sees shadows of Eliza. As if she is waiting for her, as if at any moment she might come around a corner. What would she look like now? What is she doing?
A shout from up the hill. The plane is ready and Charlie is waving at her to hurry. Smiling and waving back, she climbs towards him up the hill.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to my editor, Laura Peetoom, and to all the kind, talented, witty people at Coteau Books, for turning my stories into beautiful books. Watching Tian Di go from stuff-in-my-head to books-in-the-world has been a great joy. I could not have navigated the new waters of Being An Author without guidance from the inimitable Amber Goldie and my glitch-fixer Kelsey Koshinsky.
Love, gratitude and cake, so much cake, to those who read my terrible drafts and support my peculiar life choices, starting with Egans large and small, presented here in order of height: David, Joshua, Michael, Kieran, Susanna, Jordan, and Janice. More love / thanks / cake to my grandmother Kato Havas, Jonathan Service (also mapmaker extraordinaire), Gillian Bright, and the ridiculously patient Mick Hunter, who keeps this ship afloat and looks good doing it.
And you, whoever you are, for reading this far: here is some cake for you, as well. Thank you.
About the Author
Catherine Egan is the Gold Moonbeam Award-winning author of The Last Days of Tian Di trilogy. Her short fiction has been published in Canadian and US journals. Catherine is a world traveller who has lived in Canada, the UK, Japan and China. She currently resides with her family in Connecticut. Follow Catherine on Twitter @ByCatherineEgan and visit her website at www.catherineegan.com
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