Olivia asked him a little question the other day, and it hurt. She hadn't meant it to, but it did, nonetheless. She asked why he didn't go home to visit his friends and family in Maryland more often. And was why, everyone had an and, but him. He'd go visit Bernie and his wife or he'd go see one of his old partners and their spouses. Hell, even his 75-year-old mother was dating some guy, and he really didn't want to think about that.
It used to be John and Billie Lou, and before that it was John and Alyssa, and before that it was John and Felicia, and before that it was John and Maria, and before that it was John and Nancy, and before that it was John and Gwen.
Gwen, there wasn't anybody of consequence before Gwen, or after, if he was really honest, but if he was really honest, and when he got this drunk he tended to get pretty honest, the real reason he didn't go home to visit Maryland more often, was that he wanted to be able to go there as half of John and somebody, and he'd really rather the somebody were her.