Enough About Love

ANNA

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DRAGONS AND WITCHES, shooting stars and planets spin across the white wall in Karl and Lea’s bedroom. Lea chose this nightlight among all the others with their images of flowers and animals. Anna was not convinced, but Lea reminded her that dragons and witches do not exist, that no one should be afraid of them, and the argument was so rational it persuaded her mother.

“You have to go to sleep, children,” Anna says.

But Karl and Lea are not tired. Lea jumps on her bed and asks for a story. Anna takes a big illustrated copy of Alice in Wonderland from the bookshelf. She reads for a few minutes. Lea falls asleep first, breathing peacefully. Anna continues a little longer for Karl. A big marmalade cat smiles in the middle of the page.

“Alice,” Anna reads in a soft voice, “was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off.… ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.”

Karl has gone to sleep. A blue witch on a broomstick launches across the door when Anna turns out the light.

Yes, Anna thinks, the Cat’s right, when you don’t know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.