He was as easy about her looking at him as he’d been about kissing her. Maybe because he’d been with other girls. “What do you think?” he asked, holding his arms out.

“Remember Huck used to say you were Jolly in Candy Land? You’re King Kandy now.”

“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment?”

“You should.” She ran her fingers along the line of man fuzz below his navel. “When did you get this?”

He made a soft laugh. “I don’t remember exactly.”

“It’s nice.”

“You keep touching me there and it’ll be way too nice.” He removed her hand and pressed her close to kiss her. “Is it my turn now?”

“You’re going to take off my sweater?”

“I’d love to check out the Gumdrop Mountains. But if my mother comes up here, she’ll freak.”

“Will she come up?”

“I don’t know.”

“I want to see the stars.”

She turned off the overhead light. A constellation of stars glowed greenish white above them. She lay on her back to look at them. “I always wanted to see these stars again.”

He stretched out next to her. “Only the stars?”

“And you.”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Will we be able to see each other during the vacation?”

“I want to.”

“I know. We have to figure out a way.”

She imagined asking Mama if she could go out with him. If he were anyone but the boy who lived in the house she’d forbidden, it would be much easier. But maybe Mama didn’t care about that now. She didn’t have the energy to care about much.

Jackie stroked his fingers on her face. “Raven . . . ?”

“Yes?”

“Will you tell me what’s going on? I know something’s been wrong since you came back from Montana.”

“My mother is sick.”

“Physically?”

“Yes. Her heart.”

All the forbidden words spilled out. She didn’t know why.

“I think she’s going to die, Jackie.”

“Raven, I’m so sorry. Did a doctor say that?”

“She won’t go to a doctor.”

“She has to! Maybe they can do surgery.”

“She won’t. I’ve tried.”

“Why won’t she?”

“I think because of her mother. She died in a hospital, and my mother said she died without dignity.”

“But maybe they could fix what’s wrong and she wouldn’t die.”

“I know. I tried . . . she made me promise . . .” The weight of it broke through. All the ache poured out in her sobs.

Jackie held her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said.

“Where will I go if she dies? What will I do?”

“It’ll be okay. Maybe she won’t die.”

“She’s getting worse and worse.”

“You said you have an aunt. Can she help?”

“I’m not allowed to tell her.”

“Maybe you should break that promise.”

“I can’t! My aunt will put her in a hospital. They’ll attach her to machines. She doesn’t want that. She has a right to be in control of what happens to her body, doesn’t she?”

“I don’t know. She’s put you in an impossible situation.”

Raven cried harder.

Someone tapped on the door.

“Jackie?” Ms. Danner said. “What’s going on? Why is Raven crying?”

“Crap,” Jackie whispered. He pulled on his sweatshirt and turned on the desk lamp before opening the door.

His mother surveyed Raven wiping her tears. “I don’t want to pry, but I’m obviously concerned.”

“Raven told me something . . . ,” he said.

Raven shook her head. Ms. Danner saw.

“It’s private,” he said.

“I understand,” she said. “I came up to say Raven should go home. I heard her crying . . . I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“It’s okay,” Raven said.

“Can I help in any way?” she asked.

“No. Thank you,” Raven said.

“Honey, I’m worried that your mother doesn’t know where you are in this storm. I really think you should go home.”

“Okay,” Raven said.

Ms. Danner took Raven in her arms. “We’re always here for you, Raven. Anything you need, please ask.”

Raven hugged her, thought of that night long ago when she’d told her she wished she lived at her house. Saying it had made her feel terribly guilty, and she’d had to run away. In a way, she still felt like that same little girl running across Hooper’s field.

Huck and Reece saw that Raven had been crying, curbing the expected jokes about what they’d been doing upstairs. They both hugged Raven goodbye. “Are you okay?” Reece whispered in her ear.

“Yes.”

“Liar, pants on fire,” he whispered, and she sniffed a stuffy-nosed laugh.

Outside, the snow had accumulated to about six inches.

“Don’t take me to the gate,” Raven told Jackie as he started the car.