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That evening, after the last patients had unloaded their sorrows or shared their latest breakthroughs, Dr Fein locked up his office and climbed into his silver Lexus
The car was his pride and joy, and one of the few possessions he’d been able to salvage after the divorce Sarah had done a thorough job of laying clai custody of the children, forcing hi with three years of alihteen, and all the rest
Dr Fein fumed over the fact that this outco her job as an office er for a law firm to “spend more time with the kids” and “be a real mother to them” So she’d said Dr Fein believed now that her ten-plus years outside the workforce had been part of a larger strategy An exit strategy, in which she would end up with the house and kids and he would end up footing the bill
Dr Fein scowled as these thoughts revisited hi hi for woo and throay a job, extra income, benefits—all for the kids Everyone would “ooh” and “ahh” over her and admire her motherly instincts But if he did that—well, people would think he was insane What kind of a man quits his job to be a house-husband? No real man Not even by today’s loose standards
As he pulled into the lot of his favorite Chinese restaurant, Dr Fein found hi Sarah to Lila Now Lila (for all her irrational fears and impulses) was a wo for aher own keep Her desperation for money may have driven her to make a foolish decision, but it was her own decision and, he had to admit, required pluck and nerve on her part
Sarah would never have done such a thing Sarah was too conventional—in every possible way—to get mixed up in such business No, Sarah chose a ti it from her ex-husband
Dr Fein seated himself and ordered his usual chicken lo mein He dined at this restaurant about once a week sinceinto his apartment He’d never been there with Sarah—he avoided all restaurants they’d frequented, hoping not to see her or deal with her unless it was absolutely essential Yet despite these evasive host—across the table from him
He could even hear her voice Her endless chatter, which had seeer she’d been out of the workforce
Even now Dr Fein could feel Sarah’s presence in the empty chair opposite him, hear that voice—that voice!—and he concentrated hard on tuning it out Concentrated on exorcising the ghost Replacing her, perhaps, with Lila He thought of Lila and wondered what it would be like to have her in that seat, instead
When he finished his dinner, Dr Fein decided to call Lila once more He pulled out the patient list he kept in his briefcase in case of eencies and dialed her number
The phone rang endlessly Maybe he should run by her house, he thought Just to make sure she was okay He noted the address, then made his way to Route 29 and took it north toward Columbia
Lila lived in an older section of Columbia, a well-manicured planned cole of yard, but tall, leafy trees lined the road Dr Fein parked across the street, several feet up froood view of the front, flanked by trees He sat for athe place
Evening had fallen, and the house was still—the entire neighborhood was still, as if no one lived there—as if he were on a vacant set for a television series about
life in the suburbs
As Dr Fein pondered this, a light snapped on in Lila’s house, e from the frontlike a beacon Lilaon a cell phone She appeared upset—waving her free hand about, her expression drawn, her brow furrowed She wore a robe, loosely tied at the waist As she walked, Dr Fein could see flashes of black pubic hair or dark underwear—he wasn’t sure which One shoulder of the robe slipped off to reveal a black bra strap Dr Fein was still staring as Lila walked to the side of theand drew the curtains shut