Sethe looked at Beloved's face and smiled.

　　Quietly, carefully she stepped around her to wake the fire. First a bit of paper, then a little kindlin— not too much — just a taste until it was strong enough for more. She fed its dance until it waswild and fast. When she went outside to collect more wood from the shed, she did not notice theman's frozen footprints. She crunched around to the back, to the cord piled high with snow. Afterscraping it clean, she filled her arms with as much dry wood as she could. She even looked straightat the shed, smiling, smiling at the things she would not have to remember now. Thinking, "Sheain't even mad with me. Not a bit."Obviously the hand-holding shadows she had seen on the road were not Paul D, Denver andherself, but "us three." The three holding on to each other skating the night before; the threesipping flavored milk. And since that was so — if her daughter could come back home from thetimeless place — certainly her sons could, and would, come back from wherever they had gone to.

　　Sethe covered her front teeth with her tongue against the cold. Hunched forward by the burden inher arms, she walked back around the house to the porch — not once noticing the frozen tracks she stepped in.

　　Inside, the girls were still sleeping, although they had changed positions while she was gone, bothdrawn to the fire. Dumping the armload into the woodbox made them stir but not wake. Sethestarted the cooking stove as quietly as she could, reluctant to wake the sisters, happy to have themasleep at her feet while she made breakfast. Too bad she would be late for work — -too, too bad.

　　Once in sixteen years? That's just too bad.

　　She had beaten two eggs into yesterday's hominy, formed it into patties and fried them with someham pieces before Denver woke completely and groaned.

　　"Back stiff?""Ooh yeah.""Sleeping on the floor's supposed to be good for you.""Hurts like the devil," said Denver.

　　"Could be that fall you took."Denver smiled. "That was fun." She turned to look down at Beloved snoring lightly. "Should Iwake her?""No, let her rest.""She likes to see you off in the morning."I'll make sure she does," said Sethe, and thought, Be nice to think first, before I talk to her, let herknow I know. Think about all I ain't got to remember no more. Do like Baby said: Think on it thenlay it down — for good. Paul D convinced me there was a world out there and that I could live init. Should have known better. Did know better. Whatever is going on outside my door ain't for me.

　　The world is in this room. This here's all there is and all there needs to be.

　　They ate like men, ravenous and intent. Saying little, content with the company of the other andthe opportunity to look in her eyes. When Sethe wrapped her head a............