"Like the Christmas hymn," Gabe says, taking the book in hand. Just knowing what he does of Caleb's life now, Gabe doubts that anything in this book is about Christian comfort. It feels as forbidden as the deck of tarot cards in his backpack but he's not as frightened as he was before.

"I don't know why you have to leave," he says, aware of his plaintive he sounds. "The beach?"