"Grandpa, I can't believe you are paying for the whole wedding! You won't even let Mom and Dad pitch in."
"Baby, we both know I can well afford it."
"They aren't exactly paupers either."
"Nobody says they are. But can't an old man marry off his favorite grandkid in style? What other joys do I have at my age?"
"But you are also having the whole thing here, in your house. One would think that was enough."
"Nothing's too good for my beautiful princess. Besides, you have any other locale in mind better suited for your wedding than this old house?"
"True. This old house is a palace! And you, Grandpa, are a real prince among people!" The pretty blonde reached up to hug her grandfather and give him a big kiss.
The stately, handsome man in his early seventies patted her tenderly on the head.
"Okay, sweetheart, we both better get to bed. Big day tomorrow. By the way, have you seen your great-uncle? I worry about him. He seemed to be down in the mouth at dinner. I mean, more than usual."
"I didn't like the look of him either. I think I saw him go out onto the terrace."
"Good. I'll go talk to him."
"No, Grandpa, let me. You go to bed. You need a good rest before tomorrow."
"Okay, sweetie. Don't you stay up too late, either. I am not the one getting hitched in a few hours."
…
"Uncle? What are you doing out here all by yourself?"
The old man sitting hunched over in the corner of the huge terrace didn't stir. Alarmed, the girl came closer and touched his shoulder. "Are you okay, Uncle Jack?"
To her relief, he raised his head. "Sorry, Sophie darling. Didn't mean to scare you. I must've drifted off for a minute, like us old folks do."
"You should go to bed and get some proper rest! What shall I do with the pair of you? I've just barely gotten Grandpa Lee to do the same."
"Your grandpa must be way too excited to sleep. Small wonder. You know how much he adores you."
"Indeed." Sophie sighed. "I am concerned he may overexcite or overexert himself and be ill afterwards."
"Believe me, my big brother is stronger than the both of us. Nothing ever fazes him, so he doesn't waste any energy on trifles which aren't worth it. I wish I'd taken notes from him when I was younger." He looked up at the girl. "Are you very tired, Soph? If not, come sit with me for a few minutes."
"Of course, Uncle Jack! With pleasure!" She sat next to the old man and put her head on his shoulder.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"You know," said Jack, "it does my old heart a world of good to see you so happy. Nothing like young love to make a person glow. Although some of us were born glowing," he added with a smile.
"Oh stop it, Uncle Jack! You and Grandpa have been showering me with compliments like they were going out of style. You guys are gonna spoil me for Robert."
"I wouldn't worry about that. Your Robert's bonkers about you. He's gonna spoil you way worse than us two old geezers ever could."
"I know." Sophie sighed happily. "What an amazing coincidence! I'm bonkers about him."
"You are righter than you realize. Some people spend a lifetime hoping for this kind of coincidence."
"Like you, Uncle?"
"Oh boy. I walked right into it." Jack gave a mirthless laugh. "Could we not talk about my pathetic life when there are much happier topics for discussion?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you upset. That was tactless."
"Don't be silly, Soph. I'm not upset. It's just… kind of dreary. Hardly an appropriate subject for a conversation at a joyous time like this."
The girl shook her head with genuine concern.
"Uncle, last thing I wanted to do was hit a raw nerve. I just don't like your mood recently."
"As opposed to what? I've been in a bad mood for the past several decades. In fact, I am trying my best to cheer up for you. Please don't tell me I am doing a lousy job of that, too."
"See, this is just what I mean! You are always so down on yourself, so eager to take the blame for all the crap that ever happened to you or around you."
"Who else do you think is to blame for that? Some higher power that has it in for me?"
"Oh, stop! I'm sorry, Uncle, but it breaks my heart to see you like this."
"Come here, honey." Jack slid an arm around his grand-niece and held her close. "You've got one hell of a big heart on you. So much like your Grandma Rachel."
"Oh, Grandma…" Sophie looked sad. "How I wish she could be here today."
"Your Grandpa Lee wishes she could be here every day. And so do I. She was a lovely woman, your grandma. Now, there's a love story for the ages. Why don't you focus on that instead of my loser antics?"
"I already know their story," said the girl with a smile. "That was one lucky coincidence!"
"You don't know the half of it. For instance, did you know your grandpa had been a totally different man before they met?"
"How do you mean, different? I can't imagine him being any other kind of man than what he is!"
"What I meant was, he used to be a little self-centered… perhaps just a tiny bit full of himself…"
"Grandpa Lee? No way!" Sophie sounded genuinely shocked.
"That's because you never knew him when he was young. Even our parents and I couldn't believe the transformation."
"Aha! He was transformed by the power of love! The love of a good woman! I knew it!"
"Soph, Soph, Soph." Jack shook his head. "You are an incurable romantic. To be fair, what else can you expect of a girl who is marrying for love in just a few hours?"
"Okay, Uncle Skeptic. If it wasn't that, then what was it?"
"It was the kids. Of course he was in love with Rachel. But when they were first married he was still kind of immature and self-absorbed. And then the kids came. That was when he really had to grow up and shape up. No one could've seen it coming – our Lee turning into a devoted husband and doting father who would do anything for his family."
"Wow… I never knew that."
"Noooo!" Jack opened his eyes wide and made a shocked face. "What, my brother never told you what an arrogant prick he used to be in his younger days? Oh Soph, I am sorry."
"Uncle Jack! How can you?! That's not a very nice thing to say about your brother, especially after he – "
" – after he took me in when I didn't have a pot to pee in and let me live in his house and on his charity for as long as – "
"That's not what I was going to say! But you know as well as I do he is one of the kindest, most generous people I've ever met. Why would you say something like that about him?"
"You are right, honey. I am sorry. I shouldn't have insulted him or hurt your feelings. Just ignore this grumpy old man, okay?"
Sophie still looked outraged.
"Come on, honey, let's not sulk," said Jack placatingly. "Peace?"
"Peace," said the girl dryly but then smiled. "Let's just forget it, Uncle Jack."
"Your wish is my command, my lady. Already forgotten."
"But there is something I've been meaning to ask you, except the timing has never seemed right. Perhaps now is the time."
"Anything! I'll be happy to answer if I only know the answer myself."
"You do, even if nobody else does. You see, I know my grandparents' story – how they met, fell in love, got married... Actually, you've just filled in a blank for me, and I am glad you did. All it means is that Grandpa Lee is human. If he could become a better man for the sake of his wife and family, he deserves all the more credit. What I know squat about is your life. Well, next to squat. Nobody would tell me anything."
"That's because there's nothing to tell! Lee did very well for himself – he had a stellar career, traveled in style all over the world, married a wonderful girl, raised a great family... While I, on the other hand – "
"This is exactly what I want to know. You, on the other hand."
"Soph, honey, it really isn't that exciting. As you already know, my life is a failure. I never amounted to anything, never achieved anything – "
"I don't want exciting. I want the truth. I do know a few things, and I am trying to connect the dots. What went wrong? Why did things never come together for you?"
"Why would you even want to know that, Soph?"
"Because I care about you? Because we are family? As they say, we are blood."
"Blood… Yes. Right. Blood."
"What's wrong, Uncle? You okay?"
"Yes. Well, if that's what you want, let's try. Tell me what you do know, and I may fill in a few blanks there, as well."
"Okay! Let's do this! I know you served in the Navy when you were young. And that you were an amazing chef, or were going to be. You went to that elite school in L.A. and were on top of your class. You dreamed of opening a restaurant with fancy French cuisine, and no one ever doubted it would be a huge success. How am I doing so far?"
"Very well. All true to the last word. Anything else?"
"I also know you were gorgeous and took the town by storm. Those L.A. girls never stood a chance! You definitely were a huge success as the world's greatest ladies' man."
"Oh dear Lord, who filled your head with such – Okay, that's also true. Most of it."
"And then something happened, and it all fell apart. You dropped out of school and never graduated, you were working odd jobs, not doing too great financially – "
"That's the most diplomatic way of putting it I've ever heard."
" – but what I don't know is, why? After showing such promise, such auspicious beginnings? What happened to you? Did some girl break your heart so badly you never recovered? Hello? Uncle Jack?"
The old man sat staring at the tips of his shoes.
"This may not be such a great idea after all, Soph," he said uncomfortably at length. "Some other time would be – "
"I don't think so. It took me all this time to get together the resolve to ask, and I am getting my answers now. Come on, don't you know everybody has to do as I say today because I am the bride? It's my day!"
"Isn't tomorrow your day?"
"It's nearly midnight, so it's almost tomorrow."
"Midnight?! I didn't realize it was that late."
"That's what I mean. Let's not waste any more time. So, here's what I think. There wasn't a girl who could say no to you. But there was just one who was extra special to you, and she hurt you badly. She's the one that got away. Did I guess right?"
"Soph, I really don't think we should – "
"Aha! I knew it! You don't have to say anything. I can read the answer written across your face."
"Is it written across my face that you need to let it go? Some memories are better left alone."
"You don't understand what I am trying to do. Just go with it for now. Do you know what happened to her after you guys parted ways?"
"I have no idea. I never saw her again."
"Uncle Jack, you don't think I've been grilling you all night for my own amusement, do you? I am trying to help you! It hurts me to see you so miserable while I am so happy."
"How do you propose to change that? Is there a magic wand or a miniature time machine among those gadgets you young people can't live without?"
"Wouldn't that be cool? Maybe someday. But what those gadgets can do is find just about anyone as long as you know their name."
"Are you crazy, Soph? How would that help anything?"
"Don't tell me you wouldn't like to see that woman again. I am not saying pick up where you left off. But if things went wrong between you two back then, you'll at least have a chance to get closure. How old is she now?"
"She's my age… one year younger. So, mid-sixties, probably marrying off her own grandkids. What do you want to bother her for, even if it were possible to locate her?"
"Please, Uncle Jack, let me do this for you! It may do you good to reconnect with her after all these years. Come on, give. What's her name?"
…
"If I ever see you again, so help me, I will kill you, Tripper."
Blood was gushing from his smashed nose, running down his face.
His mouth seemed to have been disconnected from his brain. He wanted to fall to his knees and beg her forgiveness. Instead, he kept mumbling stupid and offensive cliches.
Blood was running down his face, spilling onto his shirt.
He made his way home looking like a drunk roughed up in a bar brawl. The few passers-by he ran into at this late hour glanced at him in disgust and gave him a wide berth.
Blood was spilling onto his shirt, dripping all over his pants and shoes.
It was her own fault. Everybody knew the girl was always partly to blame. She got what was coming to her. Giving him the third degree all the way there, faking innocence, pretending she had no clue why he was so upset. Making herself out to be such a great friend. Like she cared anything about why he was upset. Well, he sure showed her, didn't he?
Blood was dripping all over his pants and shoes. So much blood. Was it ever going to stop?
Her muffled screams, her desperate pleas, her yelps of pain… Her futile struggles underneath him, her small fists drumming helplessly on his chest… Was it ever going to stop?!
Blood. So much blood. His blood that she had spilled. Well, he had spilled some of hers. Call it even.
…
In the days and years to come, the dull gnawing ache inside him would almost drive him to seek her out and have her make good on her oath. Except that would make her a murderess, and he didn't want that. He had done her enough damage already.
He did see her afterwards, more than once. Chrissy, heartbroken by the rift between her two best friends, kept trying to get them together and persuade her to forgive him. But she refused to ever be in the same room with him.
However, they couldn't avoid running into each other once in a while. She always had her boyfriend in tow, a tall, athletic young man, doting written plainly across his handsome face.
It looked like she wasn't going to kill him, after all. But if that guy ever found out, Jack knew his life wouldn't be worth one cent.
Some time down the road, the guy was replaced by another of the same type. And then another, and another, and another…
They were all basically the same guy by many different names. There seemed to be an endless supply of tall, good-looking, virile young men, some even younger than her, who were ready and willing to follow her to the ends of the earth. And she was going through them pretty fast.
Was she searching for something she could never find? Was she trying to make up for the years when she had led the life of a nun? Or was she just insatiable, hungering for more conquests, more adoration, more… everything else?
Or was there the slightest chance that it could be her way of getting back at him?
…
Through it all, Chrissy had been an amazing friend to him – supportive, empathetic, highly intuitive. Silly empty-headed Chrissy, who they had often made fun of for her lack of wits and muddled thinking, turned out to be capable of understanding a lot more than they had ever given her credit for.
Jack knew that if not for Chrissy, he wouldn't have bothered to stay alive.
They continued to share the apartment, just the two of them. At one time, they tried being more than platonic roommates. But that went nowhere. There was too much baggage between them, too much heartbreak and guilt, both connecting and dividing them. Besides, by that time they were more like brother and sister than anything else, so the intimacy didn't feel right. Soon afterwards she moved back home and got married. That was the last he had ever heard of her.
Jack had to move out of the apartment and into a tiny, dingy room in a boarding house. He dropped out of school and was getting along by picking up odd jobs. Then his luck turned.
He managed to secure a position as ship's cook. Not a luxury cruise ship, with its high-end restaurants and lavish gourmet buffets, such as he might have qualified for as an accomplished chef, but a rundown cargo ship, one cut above a garbage scow. He was ecstatic.
The next three years were the happiest in a long time. The work was hard and physically taxing, and he enjoyed every second of it. Drawing on his natural talent and whatever schooling he had under his belt, he created fantastic culinary delights with the cheapest and humblest ingredients. He was once again in his element, doing the work he loved, meeting constant challenges, enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of the crew.
After his return, it took him some time to reconnect with the old gang. All the while, he prayed that no one would mention her name. Whatever it was they could tell him about her – married, great husband, great kids, doing great overall – he did not want to hear it.
But it was only a matter of time before he did hear. And it was nothing like he had imagined.
Even worse, they told him where she could be found these days. Where she liked to hang out. For some sentimental reason, she seemed to be partial to that watering hole.
For the next few weeks, he tried his damnedest to forget this. No luck. Useful, vitally important information was only too easy to forget. But this stuck in his mind like a splinter.
It took him a few visits to her favorite hangout before he saw her. And then, for a few more, before he made his presence known to her, he observed.
He didn't have to worry about her seeing him before he was ready to be seen. He had lost almost half his weight. His once plump cheeks that had made him so boyishly cute had sunken in, and his haggard face was grown up to his eyes with a thick reddish-blond beard with quite a few silver strands in it. His own mother wouldn't have recognized him if she had sat the same table.
He settled down right next to the booth where she sat with her date. Her taste in men hadn't changed.
A visibly inebriated individual came over to them on unsteady legs and said something unintelligible. Jack was close enough to hear the rest of the conversation.
"Do I know you?" asked the man at the table, none too cordially.
"Nah, you don't," replied the drunk. "But your date does." He leaned close to her. "Remember me, little lady? I sure remember you well, baby – "
The rest of the scene played out like a performance by a very amateurish community theater.
The young man rose, grabbed the interloper by the front of his shirt and shoved him, telling him to get the hell away. The drunk put up some token resistance and complied.
Neither had delivered their lines with too much conviction. They both had sounded as if going through the motions, putting on a show expected of them. That scene of jealousy and outraged innocence had been meaningless.
…
Jack tried telling himself he had seen and heard enough. He knew all he needed to know and way more than he wanted to know. But he wouldn't listen to himself.
When he saw her the next time, it was the same place, same booth, different guy. Not that different from the previous guy. Just another one.
He watched her get up, pick up her purse and say something to her date with an affectionate smile. Probably telling him she needed to go freshen up and would be right back, honey.
He hurried across the room and waylaid her just out of sight of the man.
As he had expected, it took her quite a while to recognize him. Especially since she had to search through the many men's faces in her memory. But she got it in the end.
"Jack!" she exclaimed, her eyes huge with surprise.
"Janet," he said flatly.
There was no sign of anger or animosity in her manner. "I can't believe this! Give me a minute, okay? I'll just get rid of him, and we'll do some catching up."
She went back to her booth and said something to the man. He glanced Jack's way, shrugged, then rose, kissed her and walked out.
She gestured for Jack to come over. "I told him I ran into a long-lost friend and said I'd meet him later. In a more private setting."
"Just like that? Aren't you afraid he'll be pissed?"
She chuckled. "Afraid? Believe me, he is not going anywhere. And anyway, there's a lot more where he came from."
"I'll get us a couple of beers." He glanced towards the bar. "A Bud Light for you?"
She hesitated for a second. "Erm… I'll have a dry Manhattan. They mix a mean one here."
After he came back with the drinks, they sat facing each other for a long minute of silence.
He didn't know what exactly he had expected to see. Perhaps something hard, vulgar, cynical in her face or manner. Signs of dissipation, of moral degradation… At the very least, of aging.
There were none. She had hardly changed at all. The same youthful, innocent, wholesome look as when he had first met her. The same wide, shining eyes that made her look excited simply to be alive every single second.
...Once, when he was a kid, Jack's father took him and Lee on a hike up in the mountains. They came across a small natural pool. Jack rushed towards it looking forward to a nice cool dip.
His father grabbed him by the collar. "Not so fast, champ! Careful, don't fall in!"
"Gee, Dad! I am not gonna swim. I am just gonna wade in up to my knees."
"Stay right where you are. Do you know how deep it is?"
"I dunno. Pretty shallow, I guess. Doesn't look that deep to me."
"Thought so." His father chuckled. "Son, it's over 200 yards deep."
"No way, Dad! I can see every pebble on the bottom!"
"That's how clear the water is. But the drop starts about five inches in. You won't be wading in any time soon."
Whenever he looked at her face, her fine, delicate features and deep dark eyes always brought to his mind that mountain pool. That impossibly clear, clean, pure water hiding an unfathomable depth…
"Jack, why are you here?" Her voice brought him out of his reverie.
"I wanted to s- I mean, I didn't want to see you."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Now, that's a new tack."
"Let me start over. I didn't want to want to see you. This make sense?"
She shrugged. "As much as anything does."
"I didn't want to know how to contact you. I'd have preferred not to know. But somebody told me..."
"Okay, so you are here. What now?"
He hung his head and mumbled something. The only words that could be made out were "forgive me".
She sighed. "I can't honestly say I forgive you, Jack. Perhaps something like that can't or shouldn't be forgiven. But… it just doesn't matter. I am not holding a grudge. It's simply not relevant anymore."
"Once you vowed to kill me if you ever saw me again."
"Did I? I don't remember. But whatever. You can live."
"Even if you did forgive me, I could never forgive myself. Believe me, I've been punished…"
"I can't help that, Jack. Even if I wanted to. It's between you and… you."
"Right," he nodded grimly.
"Was that all?"
He stared miserably at her.
"Come on, Jack, I'm not gonna do your talking for you."
Silence.
"Okay then, I'll be going. It was lovely catching up – "
"Janet!" It burst from him with such vehemence that the patrons at the nearby tables looked their way.
She smiled. "No need to cause a public disturbance, Jack. Okay, let me try to guess. You are on a mission. You need me to forgive you in order to save your soul. Or perhaps you want to save me. Or both, in one fell swoop. Am I getting warm?"
"You couldn't be getting colder. Where did you get this idea, some old movie?"
"Actually, an old novel. The moment I recognized you, I had a feeling I was living in a Dostoyevsky novel. Virtuous heroine ruined by wicked villain becomes a fallen woman. Wicked villain driven by remorse seeks her out on the very bottom and offers to redeem her and himself..."
"Look, Janet, I am not on any mission. My soul can't be saved, at least not that easily. And you – "
"And I don't need saving. This is 20th century L.A., not 19th century Petersburg. What I do is my own responsibility. And why I do it is nobody's business. Least of all yours."
"Now, hang on a sec – "
"All am I doing is being a female Jack Tripper. If it's good enough for you – "
"I said hang on! I thought you weren't gonna do my talking for me! Did I say one word to you about any of that?"
She was startled into silence.
"I get it, you have this chip on your shoulder about being judged. But who am I to judge you? And who am I to presume to save you, whether you need saving or not?"
"Then what do you want, if it's not the absolution I cannot give?"
"Hell if I know, sweet girl." The old endearment had sprung into his memory out of nowhere. "I told you. Once I knew where to find you, it was out of my hands."
She nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
"I don't know what that old Russian dude wrote. This is about – I dunno – I guess – I still – love you." He leaned back in his chair, as if drained of all energy.
The silence that hung between them now was deafening.
"Would it have killed you to say it back then?" she finally whisper-screamed. Her eyes welled up.
"I tried to tell you many times – "
"You didn't try hard enough! If only… if only you had just once… just once, Jack – " She was choking on her sobs. "If just once you had said it like this, using your words, not your hands or your – "
"I had no idea how you may respond! I was afraid you'd tell me to get lost!"
"So what if I had?! Oh right, the great Jack Tripper can't handle rejection. If for once he heard the word "no" he would turn into a handful of ashes right on the spot."
"I didn't even know how to approach you! You were always pushing me away!"
"Damn right I was! I didn't want to end up as just another notch on your bedpost! You never gave a hint I meant more to you than a hundred other girls! What could you offer me except a cheap one-night stand? That was never going to be good enough for me!"
"Right. That's rich coming fr-"
"Don't you dare! Great job on not judging! Okay, some things may have changed since then. The way I was back then didn't get me very far."
"What about the way you are now? How far's that getting you?"
"I am not going to say it again, Jack. Don't go there."
"Sorry. I am sorry."
"For years, I had watched you using women like disposable wipes! I had listened to you lying your ass off! How could I expect you to commit to me if you didn't know what the word meant? And I wouldn't have accepted anything less!"
"Oh my goodness, Janet. I know you are not gonna believe me. I would've committed to you in a flash. If only – "
"You are right. I don't believe you. If only what, Jack? If only what?"
"If only I had known that was what you wanted. If only I had known you wanted – me."
They both fell silent at the same time and stared at each other.
"You want the truth, Janet?"
"The truth?! Better late than never. What about?"
"About what was holding me back. I was scared."
"Oh, is that what it was? Poor little Jack. I've been told I can be pretty scary but – "
"Not of you. I was afraid I wouldn't measure up. The moment I first saw you I knew you were a one-man woman. The kind who mated for life. And that was the scariest part. I wasn't at all sure I'd be up to the mark. Being the one man… that's a lot of pressure. I wasn't sure I'd prove worthy."
"Well… At least, I am not much of a one-man woman these days, am I?"
"That's the part I don't understand. No judgment here. Just… trying to make sense of it. How can this make you happy? It isn't you!"
"Happy, Jack? Who said anything about happy? I am just trying to survive! I gave up on being happy a long time ago. And don't presume to know who I am these days."
"Okay. Okay. You are right. May I ask you… just one question? None of my business, of course, but… I've been wondering about something…"
"Jack! Spit it out already!"
"Back then… right after… you were going out with that guy. Brian, I think his name was? Chrissy told me. She said you told her you really liked him, and everything was going great. So what happened?"
This time, the silence lasted so long he wondered if he had crossed the ultimate boundary. Or if she had forgotten he was there.
"I'm sorry, Janet. You don't have to answer if it's – "
"He died. Are we done here?"
Words wouldn't come. All he could do was stare at her in shock.
"Seriously, Jack, are we done? Anything else you want to know?"
"Died? How? Why?"
"Doesn't matter. Sorry, I am all talked out."
"Janet, listen… Can we – do you want to – get out of here?"
"No, Jack. I will be leaving soon. Just not with you."
"Right. That guy's waiting. Does he mean anything to you?"
"Are you kidding me?" She gave a bitter laugh.
"Do you mean anything to him?"
"So he says." She shrugged indifferently. "So do they all. I know better than to listen."
"It's – it's too late now, isn't it?" he asked in a barely audible voice.
"Hopelessly. By many years. And it's not just that. I may no longer feel like killing you but it's – it's still there. It still happened. Nothing you can say is gonna make it unhappen."
"No!" He reached across the table to take her hand in his. "I can't accept it! I won't! You are here, I am here, we are still fairly young, we are both free. We could walk away from all this and from the past, too. We could start anew. We could – "
"Jack." She gently squeezed his hand. Her voice was soft and suppliant. "I need you to do something for me."
His eyes lit up with hope. "Anything! Just name it!"
"Please don't come here anymore. Don't try to see me ever again. Okay?"
He stared at her in dismay.
"We are not good for each other, Jack. At least one of us should've realized this years ago." She smiled sadly. "As a matter of fact, one of us did."
He still couldn't find his voice.
"Please do as I say. Surely it's not too much to ask."
"Okay," he finally breathed out. "If that's what you want."
"It is. This is going to sound strange but it was good seeing you. I mean it. But this is it, Jack. This really has to be it."
She patted his hand lightly before letting go. Then glanced at her watch and placed a few banknotes on the table.
"I better fix my face and get going. What's-his-name will be waiting for me."
And that was it. That really was it.
…
"Please, Uncle Jack, let me do this for you! It may do you good to reconnect with her after all these years. Come on, give. What's her name?"
"I don't remember," said the old man.
.
May 3, 2021
FINAL AUTHOR'S NOTES. As I was writing this story, I had half a dozen other ideas swirling around in my head, demanding to be developed. Then something sad happened to someone I care about. Someone who had been an integral part of my creative process for the past year and without whom, I am sure, I wouldn't have written another line beyond Dark & Bright. So, while the ideas are still there, it's too sad to write. Therefore, unless things change drastically for the better, THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE.
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