Robert began to talk. He had not thought about much less spoken of Gina in more than a decade. They had met while he was in medical school at Stanford. She had come from the same kind of background had he? Closeknit Italian /American family, only child of adoring parents. She worked in the medical library. They had met and had married within months. It was going to be great. She would work while he finished med. school and then he would support her while she got her PHD in history. They would find a place to live where he could practice medicine and she could teach at a university. He was so naive. His long hours and demanding schedule took their toll on the relationship. Gina became distant and resented the time he had to spend at the hospital during his third year. He found out she was having an affair with one of her Professors. He had been devastated. They had argued and he left her. He avoided and ignored her for weeks. She had betrayed him. He had trusted her, given her love and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She finally convinced him to see her at their apartment. When Robert arrived she didn't seem to be there. Until he checked the bedroom. He thought that maybe she was waiting in bed for him. He had decided to forgive her and give her another chance. That would never happen. She was dead she had taken an overdose of sleeping pills. No one ever knew if it was an accident or on purpose. He never knew either. He slipped into a deep depression, got accepted a fellowship at county and focused on his work. He cut every one out of his life form Stanford. He was angry at very one he let his anger engulf him. It was his shield and it protected him. Until a fellow student from Stanford began a PHYC residency at County. Stan Keene knew about his secret and forced Robert to confront the reality of his situation. In some ways it was a little too late. Stan did his best to help Robert resolve Gina's suidise, but the anger had turned to arrogance and it defined his personality.

Alice was silent during Robert's story. She didn't know how to respond. She knew what Robert was sharing with her was difficult for him. She reached out and held his hand. She stood up and led him into the garden in back of the cabin and they walked. Neither one saying anything. What was there to say? She looked at him and put her arms around him and held him.

"Don't think this means I'm going soft on you." He finally said

"Don't think this means I'll let you get away with being an ass with me." She replied

"I'm really not a nice man, Alice. I enjoy who I am and the effect I have on people"

"I never have liked 'nice' men and I love the effect you have on me"