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.I wouldn’t have gone in, at least not alone, if I had.Give me some credit.I just thought it was a church thing.Like a party.”“Then why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”“It just seemed silly.I didn’t want to break dinner because I had to go to a party.I don’t know.I didn’t have a good reason for going, but I felt like I had to.I can’t explain it.”Frank shrugged and the movement made her flinch.“What sort of a relationship can we ever have if you can’t tell me the truth, Frank?”“The truth is I didn’t know what I was doing.I didn’t plan on going there when I left you.I just remembered I’d been invited, and it seemed dumb to go, but I was … drawn.I had to go.”“Well then why couldn’t you have just said that?”Gail’s voice was rising and Frank was too tired for another fight.“I don’t know.I honestly can’t tell you.I’m sorry I didn’t.And I can’t argue with you right now.I was wrong.You’re right.It’s over.The whole fucking thing is over and I just want to move on.Can we do that?”She was still pissed, but Frank could at least see Gail considering her request.Before she could answer, Frank said, “Hey.I got something for you.Darcy said he brought my wallet and stuff.Do you see it?”Frowning, Gail pulled a plastic hospital bag from under the bed.“How can I impress upon you the need to communicate with me?”“How can I impress upon you that I’m trying? I’m not used to communicating with myself, nonetheless another human being, Gay.I’m not good at it.I’ll be the first to admit that.But I’m trying.”Finding the tin heart in her pants pocket, she told Gail, “Close your eyes and put out your hand.”Gail sighed, but did as instructed.Frank put the heart in her palm.“Okay.”The doc opened her eyes and Frank said, “You’re holding my heart in the palm of your hand.”Gail studied it a long time before answering, “I’ll be very careful with it.”Cupping Gail’s fingers around the stamped heart, Frank was at last able to say, “I love you.”EpilogueOn his way home from school, a boy stops by a pile of blankets.They are dirty and smell like his baby sister when her diaper needs changing.He sucks thoughtfully on his Tootsie-Pop, calculating how long before he gets to the chocolate center.He takes the candy out, studies it, then looks back at the blankets.They are heaped in the middle like they’re covering something.Maybe there’s a backpack underneath.Or a radio.The boy looks around for the blanket’s owner.The alley is empty.Only blind cars pass on his left.He nudges the blankets with the toe of his sneaker.Nothing happens.Again he looks around.He kicks the pile, scattering the mounded blankets.The smell of old pee lifts into the air.And a nasty smell, like from that cat his uncle hung in the basement.The boy waves his hand in front of his nose and swears.He doesn’t notice the hot breeze that snakes around his ankles.Or that the pigeons on the wire above have suddenly cried out and taken flight [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]