She was too afraid to move. She tried to convince herself that the bear was a delusion. But how could she smell the bear if he was not real? Where was Fred? She felt tears welling, and her heart beat a staccato in her chest.

The bear slid closer and said, “Do you like to cook with kidney beans?”

David went outside and took several moments to find Lily’s hose from earlier, coiled in the front yard, still dripping water. He hauled it into the car and sprayed the seat and floor, realizing long after he had begun that the seats were most likely leather and he has probably ruined them. He left the car door and windows open to air out. After he was finished, he paused for a moment, glancing at the sky, blissful, silent, and clear.