BRILLIANT, NARROW SUNBEAMS cut deeply through the dimness of the bedroom, casting arcs and sprays of reflected light as they went. The chrome base of the floor lamp drew a white rooster tail on the wall above and behind it. The cat slammed into walls chasing shadows and projections. All morning and into the afternoon the light kept seeming to be fading away, only to recover. The blossoms above the sidewalk turned dull, then luminous again. None of the coats or jackets were right for the temperature, but the hoodie was definitely too light. Even when the afternoon looked fully gray, there was a rip of blue in the clouds to the south, and before dinnertime the sun had briefly flooded the living room.
