Dimanche 27 octobre

Dimanche 27 octobre is anchored by two scenes in Shelby Anderson Barnum’s day: a 10:00 a.m. visit from Dorcas Peters at the university dormitory, followed by a conversation downtown at 11:43. The date brings Shelby’s isolation into the open and gives Dorcas a chance to answer it with deliberate, personal reassurance.

Morning at the university dormitory

At 10:00, Shelby is absorbed in a new drawing when someone knocks at her door. Dorcas appears smiling and immediately embraces her, relieved that her friend seems to be doing better. She then asks Shelby to go for a walk, moving their interaction from the privacy of the dorm room into the town beyond it.

Conversation downtown

By 11:43, Shelby and Dorcas are in downtown Ellensburg. Their talk turns to Cassiopée Smith and to Shelby’s former friendships in Los Angeles. Shelby says that she had friends there, but that they abandoned her after an event she does not wish on anyone. When Dorcas asks what happened, Shelby explains that those friends did not believe her; her father, Connor Barnum, and Lydia Barnum were the only ones who did.

Reassurance and significance

Shelby’s disclosure leaves her close to tears. Dorcas responds by running a hand over her back and embracing her, offering comfort without requiring Shelby to give further details. She promises to remain there for Shelby in difficult and joyful moments alike. Shelby answers with a nod as tears run down her cheeks.

The day’s sequence links a modest act of companionship—a knock, a hug, an invitation to walk—with a more consequential act of trust. Shelby does not recount the event itself, but she names the isolation that followed it; Dorcas’s response contrasts with the disbelief and abandonment Shelby describes. October 27 thus records a specific step toward friendship built on being believed and staying present.