▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁named ▁Nancy ▁Harris ▁requests ▁the ▁author ' s ▁aut ograph ▁for ▁her ▁son ▁Brian ▁who ▁is ▁sick . ▁Hall ie , ▁apparently ▁overcome ▁by ▁Nancy ' s ▁request , ▁says ▁she ▁would ▁love ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁him ▁and ▁sign ▁it ▁in ▁person . ▁Mrs . ▁Harris ▁is ▁excited ▁and ▁deeply ▁grateful . ▁ ▁When ▁she ▁arriv es , ▁Hall ie ▁disco vers ▁Brian ▁to ▁be ▁very ▁sick ▁indeed , ▁with ▁pres cription ▁bott les ▁and ▁o xygen ▁t anks ▁at ▁his ▁bed side . ▁Hall ie ▁takes ▁her ▁book ▁over ▁to ▁show ▁him ▁the ▁aut ograph ▁she ▁wrote ▁out ▁for ▁him ▁and ▁dec ides ▁to ▁read ▁to ▁him ▁from ▁her ▁book . ▁They ▁truly ▁enjoy ▁their ▁time ▁together . ▁Brian ▁asks ▁her ▁if ▁she ▁will ▁come ▁back ▁and ▁read ▁more ▁but ▁Hall ie , ▁who ▁is ▁moving ▁to ▁Arizona , ▁tells ▁him ▁that ▁she ▁isn ' t ▁sure . ▁ ▁At ▁her ▁home , ▁Hall ie ▁tries ▁to ▁sleep ▁but ▁is ▁interrupted ▁by ▁sounds ▁of ▁la ughing ▁children . ▁She ▁is ▁confront ed ▁by ▁blow ing ▁d rap es ▁and ▁moving ▁rock ing ▁ch airs . ▁When ▁her ▁real ▁estate ▁agent ▁vis its ▁with ▁a ▁young ▁couple ▁looking ▁to ▁buy ▁her ▁house , ▁she ▁shows ▁signs ▁that ▁she ▁really ▁doesn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁leave . ▁During ▁the ▁tour ▁strange ▁signs ▁that ▁children ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁her ▁house ▁appear , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁baseball ▁breaking ▁her ▁window ▁and ▁roll er - sk ates ▁are ▁found ▁at ▁her ▁st airs .