LEAH GOLDFEDER stood at the window and studieq<br >red-winged blackbird magically balanced on a slender branch c<br >maple tree that dominated her garden. Her first Labor Day wil<br >David， who always had a special fondness for the holiday that m~<br >the end of summer. Still， she noted， with a pleasure that she ha，<br >thought to feel again， that the bird s scarlet flashings matchec<br >tree s fiery crown of leaves. The brittle foliage， always the fir<br >take on the bright mantle of autumn， rustled musically in a va~<br >breeze， and a single leaf trembled and fell onto the thick green g<br >She leaned forward， and her sudden movement frightened the b<br >bird. It soared southward， its brightly slatted wings scissoring<br >way through the azure summer sky.<br > The hallway clock tolled the hour~ with delicate chimes， am<br >turned from the window. Aaron and/~chael would be arriving<br >to take her to the Labor Day party at the Ellenbergs Great !<br >estate. Traditionally， the Goldfeders had hosted the festive reu<br >of family and friends that marked the changing season， but Leah<br >not protested when Sherry Ellenberg cautiously suggested that<br >held at her home "this once." She had， in fact， been relieved.<br >journey to Russia had exhausted her， and she was not yet reac<br >greet her guests alone in this garden， where once David s pres<br >beside her had been so essential. She had known that it was be<br >have the party elsewhere， to mark a new beginning and acknowl<br >that there had been an ending.<br > Briskly， racing against a threatening melancholy， she went tc<br >closet and selected a dress of topaz silk， shot through with intn<br >threads of silver that matched the moon-colored talons that v<br >their way through her long dark hair. She searched through<br >jewelry box for the smoky opal pendant and the small combs<br >matched it. She swept her hair back， sculpted the silvered plaits<br >a regal crest， and slid the combs into place. She studied herself ir<br >long mirror and acknowledged with shy surprise， with an air<br > 2<br ><br >