moment, staring at each other, Alex still angry, Paul wheezing a little as he tried to calm down.
“All right,” he said, at length. “I thought you might want to go down and get whatever she left in her office. Personal effects.”
Personal effects sounded as if CJ were dead, Alex thought. She sometimes wondered, in the depths of her despair, if it would have been easier if CJ had died. At least it would have been over, she’d know why CJ left, and that she was never coming back. Hope that she might someday see her again had never quite gone away, torturing her every day.
“All right,” she said, shuffling through the paperwork on her desk. She knew she should have done the cleanup of CJ’s office months ago. She’d been dreading this, to finally admit that CJ wasn’t coming home. “I’ll manage it later. This week sometime, is that soon enough?”
Paul stood unhappily. “Yes, fine. Alex, I…”
For a moment she thought he might apologize, but he said only, “How’s Nicole doing?”
“Not great. She’s getting through it.” She looked up at him and added, “We have a lot in common these days.”
He flinched again, then said, “Tell her Betty and I want you both to come to the house next week for dinner sometime. It’ll be like when you were teenagers again, when your Dad had to work late, and we fed you, remember?”
No, Alex thought, it was never going to be like that again, but all she said was, “I’m seeing Nicole tonight. I’ll tell her, Paul.”
She knew she was taking her anger out him a little unfairly. After the scene with Fullerton and then the conversation with Tony, she just didn’t have any patience left for him. She added, “My love to Betty.”
He nodded and left her alone.
Chapter Six
Alex sat with her sister in the backyard as the temperature cooled. The day had been an unexpected harbinger of spring for March, warm and sunny, but it was still going down to the forties tonight. Nicole had lit the firepit on the deck now that Charlie was safely in bed.
She’d also taken out the scotch, and she was on her second, and last, drink of the evening. Alex, who still had to drive home, had stopped at one, and was drinking coffee.
They didn’t say anything for a long time, staring into the flames, flickering orange tongues under the starry night. Nicole lived in Lone Pine, far enough away from the lights of Denver that they could see a few bright pinpoints of light in the endless black above them.
Dinner had been filled with safe topics, mostly driven by Charlie and the challenges of being a fourth grader. He was a great talker for his age, and kept mother and aunt entertained through his macaroni and cheese and chocolate pudding.
He’d finally stopped asking for his Aunt CJ a couple of months ago, but Alex saw him looking at the passenger side door every time she drove up, still hoping to see her emerge and give him a hug. I know how he feels .
Alex said, “I saw Paul today. He and Betty want us over for dinner next week.”
Nicole took a drink. “Just like old times, I guess.”
“Something like that.”
“I think Charlie has a sleepover a week from Friday, if I remember the date right. We could go then.”
Alex said, “Well, I’m free.”
Nicole gave her a sharp look that Alex could feel even in the dark. “Alex.”
“Don’t start, okay?”
They sat for a while longer, then suddenly Nicole said, “You are not going to believe what happened to me today.”
“What?”
“Somebody asked me out. On a date.”
Alex almost dropped her mug. “You’re kidding.”
“Well, don’t sound quite so shocked. I’m not that old.”
“I didn’t mean that. I just meant—didn’t he know? It’s only been eight months.”
Nicole said harshly, “I know how long it’s been, Alex. It’s not like there’s a time limit. They don’t make you wear widow’s weeds for a year anymore.”
Alex reached for her hand. “Nic, that’s not what I meant. You know
“All right,” he said, at length. “I thought you might want to go down and get whatever she left in her office. Personal effects.”
Personal effects sounded as if CJ were dead, Alex thought. She sometimes wondered, in the depths of her despair, if it would have been easier if CJ had died. At least it would have been over, she’d know why CJ left, and that she was never coming back. Hope that she might someday see her again had never quite gone away, torturing her every day.
“All right,” she said, shuffling through the paperwork on her desk. She knew she should have done the cleanup of CJ’s office months ago. She’d been dreading this, to finally admit that CJ wasn’t coming home. “I’ll manage it later. This week sometime, is that soon enough?”
Paul stood unhappily. “Yes, fine. Alex, I…”
For a moment she thought he might apologize, but he said only, “How’s Nicole doing?”
“Not great. She’s getting through it.” She looked up at him and added, “We have a lot in common these days.”
He flinched again, then said, “Tell her Betty and I want you both to come to the house next week for dinner sometime. It’ll be like when you were teenagers again, when your Dad had to work late, and we fed you, remember?”
No, Alex thought, it was never going to be like that again, but all she said was, “I’m seeing Nicole tonight. I’ll tell her, Paul.”
She knew she was taking her anger out him a little unfairly. After the scene with Fullerton and then the conversation with Tony, she just didn’t have any patience left for him. She added, “My love to Betty.”
He nodded and left her alone.
Chapter Six
Alex sat with her sister in the backyard as the temperature cooled. The day had been an unexpected harbinger of spring for March, warm and sunny, but it was still going down to the forties tonight. Nicole had lit the firepit on the deck now that Charlie was safely in bed.
She’d also taken out the scotch, and she was on her second, and last, drink of the evening. Alex, who still had to drive home, had stopped at one, and was drinking coffee.
They didn’t say anything for a long time, staring into the flames, flickering orange tongues under the starry night. Nicole lived in Lone Pine, far enough away from the lights of Denver that they could see a few bright pinpoints of light in the endless black above them.
Dinner had been filled with safe topics, mostly driven by Charlie and the challenges of being a fourth grader. He was a great talker for his age, and kept mother and aunt entertained through his macaroni and cheese and chocolate pudding.
He’d finally stopped asking for his Aunt CJ a couple of months ago, but Alex saw him looking at the passenger side door every time she drove up, still hoping to see her emerge and give him a hug. I know how he feels .
Alex said, “I saw Paul today. He and Betty want us over for dinner next week.”
Nicole took a drink. “Just like old times, I guess.”
“Something like that.”
“I think Charlie has a sleepover a week from Friday, if I remember the date right. We could go then.”
Alex said, “Well, I’m free.”
Nicole gave her a sharp look that Alex could feel even in the dark. “Alex.”
“Don’t start, okay?”
They sat for a while longer, then suddenly Nicole said, “You are not going to believe what happened to me today.”
“What?”
“Somebody asked me out. On a date.”
Alex almost dropped her mug. “You’re kidding.”
“Well, don’t sound quite so shocked. I’m not that old.”
“I didn’t mean that. I just meant—didn’t he know? It’s only been eight months.”
Nicole said harshly, “I know how long it’s been, Alex. It’s not like there’s a time limit. They don’t make you wear widow’s weeds for a year anymore.”
Alex reached for her hand. “Nic, that’s not what I meant. You know
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