Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance (27 page)

And because my mother rightly divined that something else was required, she said, ‘There's some cold beer in the fridge.Why don't you two go out to the porch and I'll bring a tray out to you.'

Chrissie smiled down at the helmet in her hands. She didn't know what to do with it until I took it from her.

After dinner Jean slipped away to her bedroom. I put on ‘Danzarin'.

Chrissie was halfway through picking up her beer glass when she put it down again. I held out my arms to her.

‘Here,' I said. ‘I'm going to teach you to dance.'