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“Talk to me,” he said

“Martha needs a senior checkup,” I said

“I’ll call the vet What’s worrying you about the IAD ?”

“I’ to try to ruin ood, and if that’s not enough, well, what else can I do?”

Julie ran out of her bedroo sputtering, airplanelike noises Joe tensed, ready to jump into action if she took a fall

“Joooo-leee,” he called out “Come to Daddy”

She dipped her wings and course-corrected The curly-haired single-engine aircraft flew to her daddy’s knees

After she’d climbed into Joe’s lap, I said to him, “If the panel finds that I was out of line, the punishet”

“I know,” said Joe He grabbed my hand and squeezed “You’ll do fine I’m sure of it Call me as soon as it’s over”

“I will”

I got up, kissed hi how she’d adjust to the intrusion of another little attention-getter in the house And what about Joe and me? Hoould a new child impact Joe’s hoped-for job, and ould it do toI still had one

I left the kitchen–living rooht switch and stared ata raft of mostly white button-front shirts and a dozen pairs of blue, black, and khaki trousers I had three blue blazers and one gray one in a dry cleaner’s bag, along with a pair of dark-gray slacks

I ith the gray

I put on makeup with an overly careful, possibly shaky hand, then drove to 850 Bryant, arriving at 8:40 I parked across the street, dodged traffic against the light, entered the Hall, and passed through security without a hitch

The elevator whisked me to the fifth floor, and I didn’t run into anyone I knew That was good I wasn’t in a chatty mood