So, I’m Claire and this is Jeanette–in purple. She shows me how to be a phoenix–not the gorgeous kind with iridescent crimson feathers, but kind of grubby, with lots of potential. We know flames and the work of sifting through ashes. One day she placed a really good cup of coffee on the floor near the bed to coax me out from under (no ashes under there, just dust). I haven’t crawled back since. I follow her glints of red ahead on an updraft.