“He’s … oh, don’t do that. Make me explain. That’s a lousy thing to do. He just isn’t and religion is important, it’s an important part of life, anyone would tell you that.”

“Not anybody I know.”

“Please. Sin, right and wrong, those kinds of things? That’s all that really matters, when you actually get down to it. How we treat each other.”

“Whatever. Look, if you wanna do this now—have some big biblical moment—then we can, but I don’t think it’s gonna help us make what is, in essence, a very practical decision.”

“No, you’re pushing me, you’re pushing for an answer and I need to think about this. I do, I really need to just think …”

Come on, please, I’m not even listening in now—they’re taking over the place with the volume they’re speaking at. Look how everybody’s staring at them. It’s not just me. I mean, take it outside, right? Please. This is not what I come to lunch for, to listen to crap like this. I know, I know, then I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but come on, they’re classic, you have to admit. It really is amazing that people can get through life believing the stuff they do. It is to me, anyway. Oh, hold it, wait, wait, she’s gonna say something else. Don’t look at me like that; I’m not doing anything criminal. We’re here, it’s happening, I didn’t plan it. Shhh, wait.

“… you know what the problem is?”

“What? Tell me.”

“We’re out of sync. Us two.”

“Oh, please, come on. What does that even mean?”

“Step. Out of time, that kind of thing. We are not in rhythm with one another.”

“No?”

“Uh-huh. No. We want different things …”

“Well, of course we want different things, of course we do … I mean, we’re different people, aren’t we? Two different people.”

“Yes, but …”

“So that makes us distinct. Individual. And our wants, or desires—whatever you wanna call them—are going to be specific to who we are. Obviously. But that doesn’t mean we can’t long for similar kinds of things, or wish for our stuff to be in the ballpark of each other’s, at least. Right?”

“Umm, I didn’t actually follow that …”

“I’m just saying that, yes, you’re not the same as me, or me you, but that doesn’t make one of us right or wrong or better or anything. Or that we can’t hope for some sort of synthesis between our disparate visions of life.”

“That didn’t actually help me. I mean, I was with you for most of it, as you were speaking, but when you use words like that, like …”