He was laughing, Ever imagined, at the idea of either just having fun in Texas with a gun, or the idea of Ever being in Texas with a gun. It didn’t matter which. No fun was going to be had with this baby. A purely practical purchase. Then the thank yous and the pleasure doing business with you sir, another strange American tradition.

Obviously the military carried over into the civilian. But why not just drop it?

He was walking into that sunlight.

Back in his car, he switched on Waze, he had missed Kate, and found himself relating the events at the LA Gun Store, and told her to be nice now, I’m carrying.

‘I don’t want no trouble from you.’

He was tempted with this change in personality to add the word ‘Bitch’.

But he wasn’t sure if she was getting the joke.

So he gave up and just said,

‘Get me home, Kate. Make it quick or else.’

He was packing heat now.

*

It had been an exercise in physical necessity.

On his return from Lomita. His balls were killing him, and he needed the ejaculation to bring him the gradual delight of diminishing pain, so that thought and sanity could return to the once-horny male.

He poured some post-ejaculation Patrón Silver, adopted his porch-equivalent position, to stare at the stars and once again be defeated by his lack of knowledge of the universe, wondering repetitively why he’d never learnt or remembered what goes round what or how many light years away the stars were, and the fact that they had already burnt out when we were still able to see them.

Is that why stars on earth are called stars – not because they shine but because they are already on the way to burning out the moment they start to burn with a light that gets them noticed?

They, that are sacrificed on our earth, for our pleasure. Reward them while we want them and then just let them burn out. They will always be replaced, grains of sand and all that, they keep coming.

They always will.

His thoughts went then with an agony of mind to Jacob. He decided to FaceTime.

He wondered what they would be doing, whether it was a good time or not, which he couldn’t work out, the time difference was defeating him, would she mind, whatever time it was anyway, oh Jesus: who cared, another tequila and he most certainly wouldn’t.

*

The picture eventually came to life on his phone.

Just as he was giving up hope.

It was his wife, she was still his wife, he was surprised in the moment of seeing her face that she had answered his call.

‘Hi.’

Was her calm response to what was a greater invasion than just the regular old phone call.

‘How is everything? How’s Jacob? Is he there, can I see him?’

‘He’s here, Jacob baby it’s—’