“You go first,” Phil said. “Who’s Mr. Kate Winslet?”

“Paul Rudd,” Hannah said, almost too quickly. “For me, it is and will always be Paul Rudd.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “Another short guy.”

“To each her own,” Hannah quipped. “Now your turn.”

“Well,” Phil said, trying to keep his voice light, “if we’re talking soul mates, I guess I’d have to say the woman from that show House. You know, the one about the doctor with the limp? The nice woman doctor could play Mrs. Bird. She reminds me of my ex-girlfriend.”

Hannah shot him a curious smile. Phil froze, realizing what he just said. The actress who reminded him of Elizabeth is who he’d want to play his wife in a movie. As if she’d read his mind, Hannah lifted herself from the bar stool and found her footing. She picked up her wineglass, leaving the Diet Coke and the water half-empty, the glasses sweating onto the wood.

“Break’s over. I think I have to go back in there,” she said casually.

Phil couldn’t hide his disappointment. He stood up next to her and took a step toward her. “You don’t have to go back in there. No one will know. Everyone’s drunk by now.”

Hannah tilted her head and looked up at him. On their feet, there was at least a foot between them. “I’m a bridesmaid. It’s my duty. I’m sorry Oregon and California let you down, Mr. Bird.”

“It’s okay. It happens,” Phil said.

She started to walk away, and he surprised himself by yelling after her.

“Maybe I’ll see you back in there,” he shouted. Phil looked down, suddenly mortified by the volume of his own voice. When he looked back up, she was staring at him, her eyes dazed.

“We could talk some more about the Rainbows,” she responded, her voice sedate.

“Fair enough,” Phil muttered.

“Good-bye, Larry.” He watched her disappear into the hallway. Behind him, Wilford Brimley, Michael Caine, and Ed Asner started a slow round of applause.

Rob

The vet came out of the swinging white double doors and stood in front of Rob, who was slouching on the linoleum floor, his back against a row of vending machines.

Rob took a deep breath and found the courage to make eye contact with her. He was prepared to beg, to plead with this woman until she gave him the news he wanted to hear. With shaky hands he pulled his worn leather wallet from his back pocket. Three receipts and a dollar bill fell out. He tried to find his silver credit card in the pack of plastic but his fingers fumbled.

“I’ll spend anything,” he said assertively before the vet could even speak. He would not let them convince him to put Liz down. “I have a credit card, and we’ll just charge it. I mean, surgery can’t be over what, a grand? I can do that.”

“Sir, she’s gone,” the vet said softly.

Rob’s head snapped up.

“What? What do you mean?”