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I sat in the ?"

"Not that well I findfor Bobby"

Her eyes strayed to mine "I don’t mean that literally, of course I’m far too rational a person to believe the dead return I keep thinking there’s so more, that it can’t be over yet Do you knohat I mean?"

"No Not quite"

She stared at the floor, apparently consulting her inner voices "Part of it is a feeling of betrayal, I think I was brave and I did everything I was supposed to I was a trouper and noant the payoff But the only reward that interests aze raphs Her manner seemed very flat to me, despite the e to a robot She said hus, but mechanically "You see that?"

I followed her eyes Bobby’s footprints were still visible on the white carpeting

"I won’t let them vacuum in here," she said "I know it’s stupid I don’t want to turn into one of those dreadful wo just as it was But I don’t want him erased I don’t want hih his belongings"

"There’s no need to do anything yet, is there?"

"No I guess not I don’t knohat I’ll do with the room anyway I have dozens and they’re all e roo care of yourself otherwise?"

"Oh, yes I know enough to do that I feel like grief is an illness I can’t recover from What worries me is I notice there’s a certain attraction to the process that’s hard to give up It’s painful, but at least it allows me to feel close to hi else and then I feel guilty It seeet even for a et mean with yourself and sufferto wean arettes In the meantime, I pretend to be a whole person, but I’ that would heal o on and on about it It’s like soery It’s all I can talk about So self-centered"

Again, she paused and then she seemed to remember polite behavior She looked at ?"