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"I don't follow you"

"How to explain? Let e and every eye is drawn to them? It doesn't matter if someone else is in the middle of a speech They just have so much dramatic quality that you have to look at them I'm not like that, not at all And of course Jerry is"

"He's striking, certainly His height probably has so to do with it"

"It'sbut it's more than that There's a quality he has People look at hi as I've known him And don't think he doesn't work at it Sonize a deliberately casual gesture that I've caught hi before, and I will know just how calculated it is, and at moments like that I can honestly despise the man"

A car passed by outside We sat, our eyes not quite , and we listened to distant street sounds and private thoughts

"You said you were divorced"

"Yes"

"Recently?"

"A few years"

"Children?"

"Two boys My wife has custody"

"I have two girls and a boy I must have told you that"

"Sara and Jennifer and Eric"

"You have a remarkabledivorced?"

"I don't know Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse I don't actually think of it in those terms because there wasn't really any choice involved It had to be that way"

"Your anted the divorce"

"No, I was the one anted it The one who had to live alone Butwasn't a matter of choice, if that makes any sense to you I had to be byalone?"

"Yes"

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Does anyone?"

She was silent for a longher knee, her head tilted back, her eyes closed, and her thoughts turned inward Without opening her eyes she said, "What's going to happen to Jerry?"

"It's io to trial He h-powered lawyer could drag things out for a long time"

"But it's possible he'll be convicted?"

I hesitated, then nodded

"And go to prison?"

"It's possible"

"God"

She picked up herand stared down into it, then raised her eyes to et us more coffee, Matthew?"

"No more for me"

"Should I have some more? Should I have another drink?"

"If it's what you need"

She thought about it "It's not what I need," she decided "Do you knohat I need?"

I didn't say anything

"I need you to come over here and sit next to me I need to be held"

I sat on the couch beside her and she ca warainst mine, her breath warm and sweet When my mouth found hers she stiffened for asince been reached, she relaxed in my arms and returned the kiss

At one point she said, "Let's just " And then she did not have to say anything after that, and neither did I

A little later ere sitting as before, she on the couch, I on lass of straight bourbon that I'd finished a littlequietly and we stopped our conversation when footsteps sounded on the stairs A girl about ten years old entered the room She looked like her mother

She said, "Mommy, me and Jennifer want to- "

"Jennifer and I"

The child sighed theatrically "Moe and Eric is being a pig and wants to watch The Flintstones and me and Jennifer I mean Jennifer and I hate The Flintstones"

"Don't call Eric a pig"

"I didn't call Eric a pig I just said he was being a pig"

"I suppose there's a difference You and Jennifer can watch your program in my room Is that what you wanted?"

"Why doesn't Eric watch in your roo our set in our room"

"I don't want Eric alone in my room"

"Well, me and Jennifer don't want him alone in our room, Mommy, and- "

"Sara- "

"Okay We'll watch in your room"