The riverside was calm. As the breeze blew quietly, slow ripples drifted past the smooth stones of the river, breaking the surface of the water.
The small fire Regina had built earlier had been reduced to a bed of glowing embers. The sweet and buttery scent of grilled corn hung in the air, carried away by the wind.
"Sister Lucy, you know..."
Hazel exhaled as she trailed off, shaking her head lightly. She stared at the river for a long moment, fingers slowly turning the corn cob in her hand.
"Everyone here," she resumed, her tone low, "Genesis has wronged them in one way or another. Me. Felix. Sister Gina, Brother Mu, and Brother Zhai. Even you."
Instead of carrying bitterness in her voice, she sounded tired, as if the long passage of time had worn her out.
Lucille didn't speak, her mind racing wildly. Its chaos filled the silence with the possibilities she dared not imagine.
