We paid the bill and walked arm in arm back down Peachtree Street toward the store. Malcolm wasn’t completely fucked up yet. He still could feel the excitement of the city and it was fun to be downtown with him. But it couldn’t compare to being downtown with Charles William. Charles William really knew how marvelous the city was. Charles William laughed at everything and hugged my arm into his arm and stopped and peered into store windows and stopped to inspect a pigeon on the sidewalk and added his gaiety to mine in a way that Malcolm never could. Malcolm was too worried to live fully on the sidewalks of a city. Malcolm was too worried to live fully anywhere. He was on his way to power and money and all the things fear swears will end fear. Fear lies, fear always breaks its promises. Fear feeds on fear and on the things we think will end it. Nothing can conquer fear but love. Charles William and I had loved each other from the moment that we met. When my hand was slipped into his arm there was nothing in the world but light and laughter. We walked slower and slower as we neared the store. A radiant world was all about us.

At the revolving doors he took my hands and held them and kissed me on both cheeks as the French do. “Come and see us, Dee. We miss you. I want to show you the designs I did this summer, the photographs of Taliesin. Davie wants to see you and so do Putty and Irise. I’m sorry Malcolm doesn’t like us anymore but surely we can still see you.”

“I’ll come tonight, if he goes to study and I can get the car. I’ll come over if I can. I really want to. I’ll try.” I put my arms around his big soft body and held him close to me. What did it matter if he kissed Davie? Why should anybody care? How could anyone stop loving Charles William? “Oh, Dee,” he said. “I love you so much. You’re so important to me. There’s only friendship in the world, you know. It’s the only thing that lasts.” We pulled away from each other then and I stood a long time in front of the revolving glass doors watching his fine ample back stroll away. His flat feet splayed out in front of him, his shoulders swayed, his big fine head with its thick wavy light brown hair was held at a bright angle. I thought of the first time I had seen him from the window of my bedroom in the chocolate-colored house. Of how sad I had been that day and how fast he and Irise had worked to salve my pain.