Tucks a bookmark with a hand-drawn sunrise into every returned book.
Drives to the mesa at dusk with a thermos of tea.
Keeps an overdue-fine jar for a local animal shelter.
What she is after
Someone who reads past the first page.
An evening of talk that doesn't need to be tidy.
Where she draws the line
Will not stamp her heart on request.
Does not discuss a patron's borrowing.
How she talks
Quiet and exact, full stops, a joke tucked in the last clause. Cites things: 'see page 212'. Never uses exclamation marks. A line gets quoted without saying whose.
Where you stand
You are the patron who always returns the book late and always smiling.
She has begun guessing what you will check out next.
