The room’s changes- water bugs adhering to walls, one bobbing dead mouse- only heightened what hadn’t changed - The Virgin Suicides

We asked Father Moody whether he had discussed Cecilia’s death or the girls’ grief, but he said he hadn’t.

None of my daughters lacked for any love. We had plenty of love in our house.

Cecilia’s party had never been cleaned up. The paper tablecloth, spotted with mice droppings… A brownish scum of punch… sprinkled with flies… A profusion of withered balloons hung from the ceiling… The domino game still called for a three or a seven.