Page 93 of Take Your Breath Away

“Following you?” he said.

She nodded.

“Did you get a look at who it was?” he asked.

“No. I thought at first it was the police, because the car had some yellow lights under the bumper. Like fog lamps.”

“I don’t think the police have those.”

“And then he turned the lamps off because he must have known how obvious it made him.”

“Or maybe he turned them off because it’s not foggy.”

“And then the car was gone.” She dropped her head, as if in defeat. “Maybe. I guess I’m feeling a little paranoid.”

“That’s my fault,” he said. “Come here.”

She crawled into the bed. Instead of having sex, they each propped themselves up on an elbow to face each other.

“It was a lot to ask, I realize that,” he said. “But I really believe it was worth it. And it’s not like you did anything illegal. I mean, what would they charge you with? I can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s okay. I liked doing it. I really got into it. And that last performance? I think it went really well.” She grinned. “Academy! Academy!”

But the man wasn’t grinning. He was starting to cry.

“What?” she said. “What’s happened?”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Shit, I don’t think I can do this. I really needed to, just to get my mind …”

He got off his elbow and dropped onto his back, stared at the ceiling.

“It’s okay,” she said, laying a hand on his chest. “Talk to me.”

The man swallowed, struggled to compose himself. “It’s over,” he said.

“Oh no,” she said.

“It happened this afternoon.”

“Oh no. Oh, I’m so sorry.”

The man nodded. “I love you,” he said. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

The woman with the black Volvo station wagon inched closer, hugged him, brought her face up close to his.

“It’s okay to cry,” she said. “Just let it go, Albert. Mommy’s gone. Just let it go.”

Monday

Thirty-Seven

Andrew

It was Monday, and we all had places to be.

I’d had two calls the previous week about possible jobs, so I was going to visit the sites today and provide some estimates. Jayne, who’d briefly considered taking a mental health day, and then an actual sick day when she woke up feeling nauseated from the pregnancy, decided in the end that she was going to go into the insurance office.