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"Yes?"

Beau stepped in. "You're going home tonight?"

"Yes, Beau. I can't stay here any longer. It's the longest I've been away from Pearl," I added.

"I'm sorry that I haven't asked you more about her. I just felt. . . like I had no right to ask," he said.

"She is your daughter," I reminded him.

He nodded. "I know. Paul seems to have accepted everything completely. I mean, from the short conversations we've been able to have, I think so."

"He loves Pearl, yes."

"And he loves you," Beau said.

I looked down at my suitcase without replying for a moment. "Gisselle tries to be different when she's with you. I can see that," I said. "Maybe you are good for her."

"Ruby," he said, coming closer. "The only reason I started with her again was that when I looked at her, I could pretend, imagine, I was looking at you. I have this dream that I can make her into you, but it's a foolish dream. There can't be another you and I can't stand the thought that I've lost you and the life we might have had together."

Tears came to my eyes, but I didn't turn around so he could see them. I swallowed down the throat lump and completed my packing, only muttering, "Don't, Beau. Please."

"I can't help it, Ruby. I'll never stop loving you, and if it means I have to live forever with an illusion, then that's what do."

"Beau, illusions die quickly and leave us far worse off than if we had faced reality," I warned.

"I can't face a reality without you, Ruby. I know that now."

We heard footsteps on the stairway. I snapped my suitcase closed just as Paul came to the door.

"The car's ready," he said, looking suspiciously from Beau to me.

"Good. Good-bye, Beau. You must try to come to the bayou soon."

"Yes, I will."

"I'll just say good-bye to Gisselle, Paul."

"Fine," he said, and took my suitcase.

"I'll go down with you, Paul," Beau said. As the two of them headed for the stairway, I went to Gisselle's room. She was lying on the bed with a damp washcloth over her forehead.

"I'm leaving now, Gisselle," I said.

Her eyes fluttered open as if she weren't sure she had heard a real voice. "What? Is that you, Ruby?"

"Yes. I'm leaving for Cypress Woods tonight."

"Why?" she asked sitting up, suddenly rejuvenated. "We'll have a big breakfast tomorrow and maybe the four of us will do something that's fun for a change."

"I've got to get back to Pearl, and Paul has a lot of business to tend to," I said.

"Oh, pooh on all that. You just want to run away from all this sadness and ugliness with Bruce," she accused.

"Yes, that, too," I admitted.

Her expression softened and then her lips quivered. "What will become of me?" she cried.

"You have Beau now," I said. "You will do just fine."