right?” Sam rubbed at his jaw again, then fidgeted with the earpieces of his Ray-Bans. “I’m not trying to pry, or get graphic, or be inappropriate. I just… I’d like some clues about who and what came before, so I have an idea of where you’re coming from. Not just about you and Matt, but some of the broader picture. But only as much or as little as you’re comfortable sharing.”
“I see.” She scrutinized him. “And you’ll tell me the same?”
“Of course. Full disclosure.” The corner of his mouth turned up jauntily. “If you want it.”
Lydia pulled out the small bottle of water she’d stashed in her bag, took a long sip, then held it out to him in offering. He took it with thanks and drank also. She capped the bottle and held it, turning it slowly between her hands as she stared at the trees beyond. Finally she looked into his eyes and said, “What is it you want to know?”
They sat on the bench and talked for hours. The discussion took several varied paths: it started off with trading stories about their dating chronicles, then veered to a couple of stories about their defunct marriages, to an intense discussion about various forms of cancer, to exchanging a few light tales about their college years, to telling each other about their closest friends.
Eventually, the sun lowered enough that it backlit Lydia's copper hair, transforming it into a halo of fire around her face. Sam took out his iPhone and snapped another picture of her, trying to capture the way the golden light had ethereally set her hair ablaze. When he looked at his phone to check the shot he’d gotten, he noticed the time. “Oh my God,” he laughed. “I had no idea—it’s a twenty after five already! We have to go!”
Lydia laughed in mild disbelief and checked her own watch. “Oh wow!” She stood up, stretched out her arms over her head, stretched out her legs. “Ugh, I’m stiff from sitting for so long.”
He stood and stretched also. “Me too. Guess we’re getting old,” he laughed wryly. “But really, we’ve got to get going. I made us a dinner reservation for six o’clock, and we have to get down there.”
“Down there?” she repeated. “Down where ?”
“I thought you said you wanted me to surprise you,” he reminded her with a teasing grin.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LYDIA AND SAM made their way out of the park, hailed a cab, and were soon on their way downtown. The time change for daylight savings had just occurred the week before, and it was noticeably darker at an earlier hour. The multi-layered sky shimmered in twilight shades of deep blue and indigo; pink and purple tinged strips of clouds glowed in contrast. Settled into the back seat of the taxi, Sam put his arm around Lydia to pull her closer.
“I can’t stand it,” Lydia said. “Give me a hint.”
“Food,” he deadpanned.
“Ugh. Come on ,” she wheedled. “Um… sushi?”
He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. “Fine. Yes, sushi. And no karaoke, as promised.” He gave her mouth a quick kiss before adding, “You’re relentless.”
“Sometimes,” she said with a grin. Then she pulled her cell phone out of her bag. “I’m going to just check in quickly, okay? On Andy.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.”
She kissed his cheek quickly before dialing her ex-husband’s number.
Matt picked up on the second ring. “Hey. What’s up?”
“Just checking in,” Lydia said.
“You don’t need to check in,” Matt said evenly. “Andy’s fine. We’re fine. We just got back from dinner at McDonald’s, and now I’m going to give him a bath, get him in pjs, and then we’ll watch a little Elmo before bedtime.”
“Okay. What’d you guys do today?” she asked. She watched the scenery outside the window as they passed it by, keeping her gaze locked on it. Sam lifted a lock of her hair with his free hand and lazily twirled it around his finger.
“We spent most of the day at the park,” Matt reported. “The one on Magnolia
“I see.” She scrutinized him. “And you’ll tell me the same?”
“Of course. Full disclosure.” The corner of his mouth turned up jauntily. “If you want it.”
Lydia pulled out the small bottle of water she’d stashed in her bag, took a long sip, then held it out to him in offering. He took it with thanks and drank also. She capped the bottle and held it, turning it slowly between her hands as she stared at the trees beyond. Finally she looked into his eyes and said, “What is it you want to know?”
They sat on the bench and talked for hours. The discussion took several varied paths: it started off with trading stories about their dating chronicles, then veered to a couple of stories about their defunct marriages, to an intense discussion about various forms of cancer, to exchanging a few light tales about their college years, to telling each other about their closest friends.
Eventually, the sun lowered enough that it backlit Lydia's copper hair, transforming it into a halo of fire around her face. Sam took out his iPhone and snapped another picture of her, trying to capture the way the golden light had ethereally set her hair ablaze. When he looked at his phone to check the shot he’d gotten, he noticed the time. “Oh my God,” he laughed. “I had no idea—it’s a twenty after five already! We have to go!”
Lydia laughed in mild disbelief and checked her own watch. “Oh wow!” She stood up, stretched out her arms over her head, stretched out her legs. “Ugh, I’m stiff from sitting for so long.”
He stood and stretched also. “Me too. Guess we’re getting old,” he laughed wryly. “But really, we’ve got to get going. I made us a dinner reservation for six o’clock, and we have to get down there.”
“Down there?” she repeated. “Down where ?”
“I thought you said you wanted me to surprise you,” he reminded her with a teasing grin.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LYDIA AND SAM made their way out of the park, hailed a cab, and were soon on their way downtown. The time change for daylight savings had just occurred the week before, and it was noticeably darker at an earlier hour. The multi-layered sky shimmered in twilight shades of deep blue and indigo; pink and purple tinged strips of clouds glowed in contrast. Settled into the back seat of the taxi, Sam put his arm around Lydia to pull her closer.
“I can’t stand it,” Lydia said. “Give me a hint.”
“Food,” he deadpanned.
“Ugh. Come on ,” she wheedled. “Um… sushi?”
He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. “Fine. Yes, sushi. And no karaoke, as promised.” He gave her mouth a quick kiss before adding, “You’re relentless.”
“Sometimes,” she said with a grin. Then she pulled her cell phone out of her bag. “I’m going to just check in quickly, okay? On Andy.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.”
She kissed his cheek quickly before dialing her ex-husband’s number.
Matt picked up on the second ring. “Hey. What’s up?”
“Just checking in,” Lydia said.
“You don’t need to check in,” Matt said evenly. “Andy’s fine. We’re fine. We just got back from dinner at McDonald’s, and now I’m going to give him a bath, get him in pjs, and then we’ll watch a little Elmo before bedtime.”
“Okay. What’d you guys do today?” she asked. She watched the scenery outside the window as they passed it by, keeping her gaze locked on it. Sam lifted a lock of her hair with his free hand and lazily twirled it around his finger.
“We spent most of the day at the park,” Matt reported. “The one on Magnolia
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