'So we drove to Atlanta, got an abortion, drove back to Messina. I swear I never told a soul.'
'Rested twenty-four hours, then back in the rut.'
'Close.'
'Look, Neely, I'm really tired of your sex life. It was my curse for many years. Eitherchange the subject, or I'm out of here.'
Another long awkward pause as they watched the receiving line and thought about what to say next.A breeze blew in their faces and she held her arms close to her chest. He fought the desire to reach over and hold her. It wouldn't work.
'You've asked nothing about my life these days,' he said.
'I'm sorry. I stopped thinking about you a long time ago. I can't lie,Neely . You're just not a factor anymore.'
'You were always blunt.'
'Blunt is good. It saves so much time.'
'I sell real estate, live alone with a dog, date a girl I really don't like, date another one with two children, and I really miss my ex-wife.'
'What caused the divorce?'
'She cracked up. She miscarried twice, the second one in the fourth month. I made the mistake of telling her I once paid for an abortion, so she blamed me for losing the babies. She was right. The real cost of an abortion is much more than the lousy three hundred bucks at the clinic.'
'I'm sorry.'
'Ten years to the week after Screamer and I made our little road trip to Atlanta, my wife had the second miscarriage. A little boy.'
'I really want to leave now.' 'I'm sorry.
* * *
They sat on the front steps again. The lights were off. Mr. and Mrs. Lane were asleep. It was after eleven. 'I think you should go now,' Cameron said after a few minutes.
'You're right.'
'You said earlier that you think about me all the time now. I'm curious as to why.'
'I had no idea how painful a broken heart can be until my wife packed up and left. It was a nightmare. For the first time, I realized what you had suffered through. I realized how cruel I had been.'
'You'll get over it.Takes about ten years.'
'Thanks.'
He walked down the sidewalk, then turned around and walked back. 'How old is Jack?' he asked.
'Thirty-seven.'
'Then, statistically, he should die first. Give me a call when he's gone. I'll be waiting.'
'Sure you will.'
'I swear. Isn't it comforting to know that someone will always be waiting for you?'
