Mineral, Virginia is, like the name sounds, a mining town. It’s quaint and small, and they were delighted to have a skilled and handsome young doctor come and open a practice.
It’s also very far from Calgary.
We set up in a little house on the outskirts of town, with a picket fence and Carlisle’s Cadillac, and it reminded me of Shipshewana.
Jasper’s eyes turned golden again after about two weeks.
We made love loudly, even though the house was small.
One brilliant day, when the sun was beating down on the house and the asphalt in the driveway sizzled, Edward and Jasper and I washed the car, barefoot. Jasper dumped water over my head so that my shirt stuck to my breasts. Then he leaned me back over the hood of the car and straddled my body as we kissed.
Edward put his arms out in front of him and feigned disgust as he backed away from the car.
One day, I thought at him. One day, you’ll have this, too.
He shook his head and stuck his tongue out at me.
But he was smiling as he walked back into the house.