Safe as Houses

Title Page, Copyright

University of Iowa Press Iowa City Marie-Helene Bertino Safe as Houses University of Iowa Press, Iowa City 52242 Copyright © 2012 by Marie-Helene Bertino www.uiowapress.org Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. All reasonable steps have been taken to contact copyright holders of material used in this book. The publisher would be pleased to make suitable arrangements with any whom it has not been possible to reach. This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental. The University of Iowa Press is a member of Green Press Initiative and is committed to preserving natural resources. Printed on acid-free paper Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bertino, Marie-Helene. Safe as houses / by Marie-Helene Bertino. p. cm.—(Iowa short fiction award) isbn-13: 978-1-60938-114-1, isbn-10: 1-60938-114-9 (pbk) isbn-13: 978-1-60938-131-8, isbn-10: 1-60938-131-9 (ebook) I. Title. ps3602. e7683s25 2012 813’.6—dc23 2012005969 In memory of my grandfather Tony who taught me to dance and my grandmother Marie-Louise who signed all her letters Yours truly, Marie ...