Jackie pulled up to the front of Diane’s house. She looked down at her hand, which was crumpling up the paper and then letting it spring open uncreased again and again. The drive had been quiet since she told Diane the story of the paper.

“I know the man in the tan jacket you’re talking about,” Diane broke the silence. “His name is Evan.”

“If you say so. I don’t remember the name he gave me. Efran maybe?”

“I used to work with him, I think. But I’m starting to feel that what we think may not be the most reliable test of truth.”

“John Peters. You know, the farmer? He told me that you were involved with the man in the tan jacket.”

“John said that?”

“Well, nah, not outright. But he implied it, sure.”

Diane shook her head.

“That man. He always loves to be ahead of the gossip. So much so I think he makes up half of it.”

“All of these men,” said Jackie. “Each one carrying a mystery that’s not as interesting as he thinks. I don’t want their mysteries. I want a life on an even level.”

Diane nodded. Jackie’s exhaustion was also her own.

“Or maybe I want to grow older,” Jackie said. “Maybe that is what I want. But I want to do it because I’m ready, not because someone else is ready for me.”

She found that when she looked at Diane now, she saw a woman who, yes, happened to be older than her, but, yes, also had her own worries, her own worrying lot in life. Jackie softened her voice.

“Who are we following, Diane? Who’s the blond man at the diner? And at the bank and the movie theater and who knows where else?”

“He’s a police officer too,” said Diane.

It’s amazing how much a roll of dimes weighs, the house thought.

“So who is he?”

“Josh’s father. Left town when Josh was born.”

“Asshole.”

Diane smiled. She hadn’t talked about Troy leaving since shortly after it happened. It always felt somehow like a mistake she had made. An embarrassing moment for her. Jackie’s response was honest and simple, and in just two syllables put all the onus on Troy.

After all the back-and-forth with Josh, the weird business at work, it felt good to have a person on her side.

“He showed up again recently. I don’t know why he did. I’m worried that he wants back in Josh’s life. And of course Josh is interested in knowing his dad, whatever that word means.”

“Ah, let him. He’ll just find out his dad’s a jerk. Like, Troy was cute. You got pregnant. He skipped town. He’s an asshole. Josh can figure all that out on his own. He’s not much younger than me.”