Karen took the container, but didn't move to open it, just set it down on the sand in front of them. "We walked around a bunch," she said, gesturing at the snoring lump of fur that was Utica stretched out a few feet away.

She looked back at Nick, feeling guilty, as though she was going to ruin Nick's day just because she needed him. "I found out Brodie's gone," she said, and then laughed softly. "He left me all his comics. What am I supposed to do with hundreds of comics?"