“I am not going to be the neurotic self-absorbed heroine who makes her best friend into a sidekick. Barbra Streisand played her in all those movies in the seventies…”

“You might want to drop the classic movie channel, too.”

“You know what I'm talking about.”

“Carrie, I'm here for you. You are the friend who listened to me for three years while I waited for the Jerk to divorce his wife. It took you thirty-six months to convince me to stop giving him the benefit of the doubt. Two phone calls a day. My personal best was the night I called you five times.”

“That was different.”

“I phoned you in the hospital after you'd just had your appendix out. You were still on Demerol. I repeat: what's wrong?”

“I called Howie this morning to tell him about New Haven.”

“Okay, it's probably a little early for a chat, but I don't see—”

“He was with someone.”

There was a pause while Zoe digested the news. “When you say someone … ?”

“There was murmuring in the background. A woman's voice.”

“Oh.” Zoe digested again. Then she spoke very carefully. “Uh, Carrie, isn't this what you wanted? I mean, you were the one who walked out three days before the wedding because you didn't know who you were and you were afraid you'd wind up failing him.”

“I know that.”

“When he bought that house in Katonah you said you were glad because you wanted him to get on with his life.”

“Yes. And I do, ” Carrie said. “I'm just a little …thrown.”

“Right.”

“Maybe a little sad.”

“Right.”

“It's a perfectly normal reaction.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was long. When Zoe spoke again, it was with the authoritative voice she used with the deadbeats at gourmet stores who hadn't paid their bill. “Call your grandmother, ” she said.

“Did I miss something? When did we start talking about her?”

“We're talking about you. You need to get your act together, fast.”

“I don't see why—”

“I know you don't. Trust me on this. Find Lu. Go talk to her.”

“Actually, I'm going to call the guy who was Lu's conductor. I think he could be very helpful and—”

Zoe broke in by making a sound like a chicken squawking.

“That was mature,” Carrie said.

“Hear your grandmother's side of the story,” Zoe commanded. “Hell, hear the story. Maybe Lu will actually tell you what happened between your mother and her. Wouldn't that be refreshing?”

“I can't. I don't know what Lu did, but she really hurt my mother.”

“Mothers have been doing that since the first cavewoman told her daughter that bearskin made her hips look big. Most daughters forgive them.”

“Mother couldn't. Whatever happened was too important.”

There was more silence from Zoe, then a resigned “When are you going to see this conductor person?”

“His name is George Standish. I'm calling him this morning.”

“Good luck, Mary.”

“Thanks, Rhoda.”

Chapter 15 - New York 2008