“Then I thought maybe we could go out,” Chip says. “Diann and I and you, too.” I start to excuse myself, but he says quickly, “Please don’t say no, Myra.”

I look at my watch, out the window.

“Myra?”

“All right.”

I hang up, tell Diann, “Chip’s parents need to talk to me. So I’ll go over there to see them, and then I’ll bring Chip back here. He thought maybe we could all go out somewhere.”

“Oh. All right.” She shrugs. “Isn’t it odd, the way there’s this sort of … party atmosphere?”

“Yeah.”

“His attitude is so hard to understand. Don’t you think? I mean, why isn’t he grieving?”

“He is.” I pick up my nurse’s bag, sling it over my shoulder. “I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“Okay.” She stands, yanks at the waistline of her dress. “I wish you didn’t make such good pie. After you left, I ate that whole piece.”

“Oh, well.”

“No, I really shouldn’t have. I’m glad you tossed the leftovers; I probably would have had more for breakfast. And lunch. I’ve gained five or six pounds the last couple weeks; I look like a beached whale.”

“No, you don’t.”

“God, Myra, you’re so lucky never to have worried about any of this stuff! I always thought it would be so much easier, so much better, to be like you!”

I stand with my hand on the door, open my mouth to say something, then shut it. I feel a small rush of anger moving from my stomach up into my throat.

“Oh, you … Please don’t think I … What I meant is, you always seemed so much wiser than those of us who were running around desperately trying every new fad, you know? You were—”

“I’ll see you later, Diann.” I start to leave, but she comes over and stands between me and the door.

“Myra, I know how it sounded, what I just said. But I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s okay.” I reach around her to open the door.

She steps out of the way, her hands clasped before her, speaks quietly. “I hate when this happens. I hate when you say something wrong, and suddenly you’re in this hole you can’t get out of. And everything you say to try to convince someone of the truth just makes you sound like more of a liar. Will you please just consider that I really didn’t mean what you think?”

“What makes you think you know what I thought, Diann?”

She sighs. “Look. I know you won’t believe me, but I mean this: I always admired you. I always did. That’s all I meant to say.”

I step outside.

“I wish you weren’t leaving. I hope we’ll get a chance to talk, later.”