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Page 302
near the water. It smelled fresh and clean.
"Isn't it wonderful, Abby?" Lucy twirled in glee, arms outstretched, long skirt billowing when Arlen showed them the spot on which he would build their house.
The place was an area Abby believed she had once passed on a freeway, then full of aging houses and no open spaces. But for now it was quite delightful. "You should be very happy here," she agreed.
"We, Abby," Lucy insisted, her expression suddenly worried.
"Of course," Abby responded, upset she had spoiled her sister's mood. Inside, her heart thumped with excitement. In a short while her family would be settled. Perhaps having a place of their own would help her father feel better.
Then she could return to Mike.
The family moved its camp to the homestead. As Abby had hoped, Lucius improved almost immediately; his plans for a farm that would take advantage of the temperate climate helped him leave his lethargy behind. He asked other farmers questions on plants and irrigation, then spent hours comparing the virtues of olives with walnuts, considering the possibility of growing grapes for a winery. One thing, he said, was certain: no orange trees for now; scale insects were currently decimating the crops.
Nearly two weeks after they arrived at the homesite, Abby decided it was time.
That morning she stooped to kiss Lucius, although he was preoccupied with directing his

 
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