“He’s precious,” I said, trying not to vomit. “Maybe it’s best if we stop seeing each other.” I hung up. I ignored his calls and didn’t answer the door when he came pounding on it. He left me notes in my mailbox, desperate missives that Artie and I giggled over.

“So it’s over with the hayseed?” Artie asked, flopping on my sofa.

“Hardly,” I said.

“You’re not going to break up his family, are you?”

“I’m not. He might, though. He’s not as happy as he thought he was.”

“What about the brat? You’re not exactly the mommy type.”

“He’s a bit of a problem.”

“It’d be awful if something happened to him,” Artie said, undoing his belt and wrapping it around my neck.

“Awful,” I said. Artie cinched the belt and I saw stars.

Now, Curtis is at my house. He’s weepy and tiresome with his professions of love and angst over what to do about it.

“Life is short,” I tell him. “I’m turning thirty-five next month. I can’t be wasting my time on dead ends.”

“If it wasn’t for Alex—”

“Look, we’ve each got to do what’s right. I love you but you’re taken.” I let my voice break a little. I’m fond of Curtis, or maybe it’s his desperate adoration that appeals to me. I offered to let him tie me up, but he was shocked, wouldn’t do it. He said he couldn’t enjoy degrading me that way. Artie would pistol-whip me unconscious if I let him.

“I can’t live without you,” Curtis says. “I’m going to ask Susan for a divorce. We can share custody of Alex. You’d be such a good influence on him, I just know it.”

“Baby—are you sure?”

“I love you, Nina. I want to marry you, take care of you. You could quit your job and we could have babies together, little brothers and sisters for Alex.” I feel a dark, thrilling victory. I hide my face in his shoulder and cry real tears, not from happiness but for something I can’t name. My skin burns and itches like I’ve rolled in dried grass.

He tells Susan that he’s in love with another woman and that he wants a divorce. She goes berserk in a quiet, midwestern way, developing a taste for vodka and taking to her bed. He says that Alex has started to wet his pants.

Susan begs Curtis to reconsider. She calls his mother in Arkansas, who calls him and implores him to come to his senses.