Out of the Dust

Whenever Louise comes over for dinner, she and Billie Jo go on a walk together after they eat while Billie Jo’s father does the dishes. He leaves a bit of the cleaning up to Billie Jo, which irritates her, but not too much. At this point, Billie Jo has learned more about Louise. Louise was her father’s night school teacher. She is relatively young, and she never married before. In fact, she was not interested in love until meeting Billie Jo’s father.

Billie Jo recalls the Thanksgiving she spent with Louise and her father. To be respectful, Louise did not make cranberry sauce, though she made a feast for Billie Jo and her father. After the meal, Billie Jo slept while Louise and her father visited her mother’s grave. At the grave, Billie Jo’s father explained his intentions with Louise to Billie Jo’s mother. According to Billie Jo, “Ma’s bones didn’t object. Neither did mine.”