“No, I didn’t find her there. Only over here have I begun to be in touch properly. Lately I’m beginning to feel her strength—it’s like she’s helping me. Or maybe they’re just my own projections.”

He leaned toward her and looked closely at her, his lips compressed. Then he said, “You went to Castagna without me. That really hurt, you know.”

“I know, Jason. It hurt me, too. Believe me, it’s hurt me ever since. I did it because I was afraid of our getting so close that we’d be tied together before I even knew who I was or where I was going, or wanted to go. I was too mixed up then—my mother had just died, our whole family was coming apart, and I couldn’t think clearly. Can you understand?”

“Yes, I think so. But I would understand better if you had gone on alone. But my God, Tina, with that guy you had just met that night!”

“I know, Jason. It was a bad trip. It was my mistake. I have wanted to tell you so ever since.”

“I can’t care anymore . . . so much time has passed. But at the time, I swore I never wanted to see or hear about you again. I’ve had some girl friends since then but I can tell you, Tina, there was something special with you. I mean, we had certain things together that I can’t have with anyone else. That business about Castagna was truer than you think. Remember when I told you it was a tie between us?”

“That’s just what scared me, Jason! I didn’t want to be tied into anything at that time—I had my own problems to work out. It never meant that I didn’t care for you. Actually I cared too much for you.”

Her eyes pleaded with him, she reached for his hand, and he grasped hers tightly.

The man in the yellow polo shirt and brown trousers came back alongside their part of the line and sang again, and the words lingered in the still, heavy air:

“Western wind, when wilt thou blow,

The small rain down can rain . . .

Christ, if my love were in my arms

And I in my bed again!”

“Do you think you’re ready for another try, Tina?”

“Oh, Bear, I do love you!”

They left the Shakespeare line, gathered up the blanket, books, and bag of sandwiches, and went off into the park in another direction.

They walked, they sat and ate, they got up and walked some more. By evening they had put the past to rest. He stroked her hair, she touched his face, they embraced and kissed.

“Come up with me to the Cape for Labor Day weekend, Tina,” he said.

“Jason, it’s just before I defend my dissertation. I don’t know whether I should.”