“… lemme just ask you something, quick, and you can be honest. It seems like it’s time for that right now, honesty, so go ahead. Be honest.”

“All right. If I can.”

“Did you, in all these months, did you ever feel that thing for me, what you just described about the cereal and your husband sitting there?”

“Well …”

“I’m not saying that exact same kind of ‘pleasure,’ but something. Anything. From what I ever did, or us together? Did you?”

“… ummm …”

“You can tell me. It’s OK, I’m just curious.”

“No, I didn’t. No. Not ever.”

“All right. I was just wondering.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No problem. It’s … I’ll see you, then.”

“Yes. Sometime.”

“Bye.”

“Good-bye.”

Look at Her

Look at her. Seriously, look. There she is, over there. Unbelievable, right? I mean, I can’t take my eyes off her. Really, I can’t. I’ve been standing here next to the sliding glass door all night and just watching her. The way she shifts her weight from foot to foot as she studies people, her little sigh that seems to wait until everyone has stopped speaking and then just pokes out above the silence. Everything. Wait, there, did you see that? See how she follows a person around the room with her eyes, sizing them up, whispering to herself the whole time? I love that. She did that to me about an hour ago, the watching-judging-mumbling thing, and I had to step outside a minute, grab some fresh air. I’m telling you, she’s got it going on, you know what I mean? She does. I don’t know what “it” is or how you get it, but I know it when I see it. That head-turning, mind-blowing gift from the heavens that makes a woman who she was, is, and has the potential to become. This lady has it in spades, and I’m standing here holding a soft drink, all but speechless. She’s amazing.