please give me time

life. Jerome groans, his neck and shoulders stiff, and Jeannie shakes her head sadly. "No luck," she says.

Alice sinks heavily into one of the empty chairs. "Oh my."

Mariano looks at Saenz. "So what now?"

Saenz rubs his eyes with one hand. "I honestly don't know."

Jerome lifts both hands up in

hands up in

defeat. "I'm out of ideas."

Alice gestures toward the box. "Have something to eat, then. Maybe something will come to you." She pushes the box closer to Jeannie. "There are sandwiches there, and juice."

Jeannie opens the box and begins distributing food, and Saenz and Jerome accept gratefully, only just beginning to

realize how hungry they are. They unwrap their sandwiches— ham and cheese on buttered white bread—and eat, silent, weary, glum.