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"I think that’s best"

Her eyes wistfully traveled the roos and dirty dishes in piles "It’s too bad, really I did want to finish the nursery But I guess that will have to wait" She found his face again "Just one thing You can’t makeDon’t make me think about the world "If that’s what you want"

"We’re just " She looked for the words "Taking a drive in the country How does that sound? Do you think you can do that for e, even a little silly, but he would have put on a clown suit if that’s what it took to get her out of there

"Good Just so long as that’s settled"

He waited for her to say so happened A change came into Lila’s face-a look of intense concentration, as if she were reading tiny print that only she could see Then, abruptly, her eyes grew very wide; she seeoodness, what a scene I made! I can’t believe I did that!" Her hands darted to her cheeks, her hair "I must look terrible Do I look terrible?"

"I think you look fine," Grey o the orks It drives Brad absolutely crazy"

The name wasn’t one he’d heard from her before "Who’s Brad?"

Lila frowned "My husband, of course"

"I thought David was your husband"

She gave him a blank stare "Well, he is David, I mean"

"But you said-"

Lila waved this away "I say a lot of things, Lawrence That’s one thing you’ll have to learn about me Probably you think I’"

"I don’t think that at all," Grey lied

An ironic smile creased her fine-boned face "Well We both know you’re only saying that because you’re being nice But I appreciate the gesture" She surveyed the roouely "So, it’s been quite a day, don’t you think? I’uest room, but I made up the couch for you If you don’tand say good night"

Grey had no idea what to make of any of this It was as if Lila had broken her trance of denial, only to slip back into it again Not slip, he thought; she had done this to herself, forcing her thoughts back into place with an act of will He watched in dumb wonder as she made her way to the doorhere she turned to face hilad you’re here, Lawrence," she said, and sood friends, you and I I just know it"

Then she was gone Grey listened to her slow trudge down the hallway and up the stairs He cleared the rest of the dishes from the table He would have liked to wash the, but there was nothing he could do but deposit them in the sink with the others

He carried one of the candles fro room But the minute he lay down on the sofa, he knew sleep was out of the question His brain was bouncing with alertness; he still felt a little nauseated from the soup His mind returned to the scene in the kitchen, and the , exactly; he’d just been trying to get Lila to stop hitting hilike It had felt good- sexual, not as Grey recalled it Years had gone by since Grey had experienced anything that even approxiens saw to that-on top of which, the wonant, for God’s sake Which, come to think of it, was nant wo Lila, Grey had felt as if he’d stepped into a circle, and within this circle there were not just two people but three-because the baby was there, too Maybe Lila was crazy and e But he couldn’t see that this made a difference one way or the other She’d chosen him to help her, and that was exactly what he’d do

Grey had almost talked his way into sleep when the silence was cut by an ani off his disorientation; the sound had come from outside He hurried to the