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Dina’s the only person I allow to call et her to call reith her callingme Sarai

I hand her a bottle of soda and sit down next to her, pulling one leg up onto the cushion

"It feels weird having conversations with you about my life," I say "It’s not like I can tell you about the last person I saw die, as casually as I can talk to you about getting the wrong order at a drive-thru"

"I know," she says and takes a drink, "but what’s going on with you and that handsome, mysterious man of yours?"

I take a drink and then look off at the wall behind her

"Things are good," I say, trying not to let onto the truth--I’ on between me and Victor isn’t exactly your typical trouble-in-paradise kind of situation

Dina and I talk for a while about si on with the characters on her favorite television shows, but I just listento add We talk about the sarden she planted behind her newest house and how the only vegetable growing are the cucurow the easiest of vegetables, so again, I oes on about sales at the departot a thirty-dollar blouse for nine dollars--I don’t know ives me--and that I earn myself--I don’t have to pay attention to sales

And while Dina talks about a variety of totally unrelated things over the course of the next thirtyI notice she mentions in every topic--Arizona

"I used to watch that show every night before bed in Arizona," she had said "I had my recliner by theand I’d always open it and let the heat in while I watchedin Arizona"

And later:

"I hit the thrift stores every weekend when I lived in Arizona I got soood deals"

Finally, after the fifth mention of Arizona, I ask her the inevitable:

"Do you miss home, Dina?"

She smiles faintly and sets the soda bottle down on the end table

"I do, Sarai, I really do"