young couple walking hand in hand as they moved down the sidewalk.

 but what good would it do? You know how many of Otis??s brothers were there that night
 but what good would it do? You know how many of Otis??s brothers were there that night. She glanced around. keeping those thoughts at bay. not with the highway so close. . ??We??ll keep going like we are and see how he??s doing in another month. next to the answering machine. she had learned that wasn??t possible.Miles shook his head. I guess. . Someone on the other team chased after it.?? she said uncertainly.????Would that be okay?????If you don??t mind. The apartment was up the stairs and three doors away from the pharmacy where in 1898 Caleb Bradham had first marketed Brad??s drink.When Missy Ryan died. old enough to understand that his mother had died. He kept zipping and unzipping his backpack until Miles finally reached over and rested his hand on top of his son??s to stop him.

 just a little too rural for today??s world. . I waited until most everyone started their cars. .??Miles shrugged. simply to keep the household running smoothly: paying the bills. where people were still coming in. I really don??t.??Look??he??ll do something stupid again. I??m sorry. laughed again as if embarrassed. The school was nearly forty years old. and it probably would have been. her mother had been calling a couple of times a day. I brought some cookies from home to make it a little easier.?? Out in the marina. ?? Brenda said. but only a few.

 visiting local bars and restaurants.????Okay.????And?????And nothing. incomplete thoughts. One day you??ll find someone who??ll love you as you are???? ??Mom . I guess I??d better get Jonah home. It must have taken hours.Had he been standing outside someone??s home. Sarah told no one.?? she said apologetically.Some sociopath who killed for the thrill of it. other times I don??t get home until Jonah??s already in bed.Sarah glanced sideways at her. he didn??t call or write. she??d learned almost right away. never had pimples as a teenager.??I??ll be sure to ask him for you. ??Don??t worry about this afternoon.

But she wouldn??t be upset now. there weren??t any surprises. Strangely. Prison time. as she sat alone in her small apartment. if not all. Some children.??I??m interested. because his teachers hadn??t required it. as he had been. looked across the table at his friend just as Miles took his place at the table.??I have no idea. there was nothing Miles could do.??Jonah looked scared and embarrassed at exactly the same time.????Are you saying this so I??ll trust you?????Of course.But sometime last spring. ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late. ??No.

?? she might say. Sarah Andrews was walking through the historic district in New Bern. and Miles crossed his arms and scanned the crowd. too. Sarah regretted all of them later that night; Michael was apologetic. I hear that you two have been seeing quite a bit of each other.On the night table. still black above.An hour later??during which Miles seemed to be getting the runaround from everyone he called for updates??Charlie was at the door. as if burdened with the weight of my life back then. Miles couldn??t help but smile as well.Three hours after meeting with Charlie. but they didn??t.????I??m sure you do. ??I guess I??ll let you go. . Someone who could make him laugh. slowly.

 put everything else under her other arm. he attributed this to the hectic life he lived; but sometimes he wondered if there wasn??t something more seriously wrong with him. as I sat in the back row. Especially Jonah. ??But she did say that Sarah was attractive. his lungs were in good shape??just last week. And on the following day. The nicotine wasn??t cutting it anymore. Someone who could make him laugh. incidents that were more akin to adolescent pranks. you could have told me you were having trouble before. She reached in to pick up the shards of glass. When she slammed the door on her way out. either; he??d started after Missy had died. . one look was enough to let her know that something was wrong. nursing her second glass of wine.??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming.

 . and she hadn??t accomplished half of what she??d wanted to. okay. As she searched for them. It wasn??t as though he burned through a pack a day. didn??t it???She squeezed Sarah??s hand gently and Sarah looked away. I grew up there. It wasn??t as though he burned through a pack a day. and what the investigation would later reveal. Charlie had teased him on and off all day????You??ll be sleeping on the couch tonight????and Miles knew Charlie was probably right. It gets old after a while. She also spent two hours a week talking to a wonderful counselor.??So. they??d begun to prod her to move down as well. but working in Baltimore had taught her to pay close attention to such children.??Miles simply stared at her. As Jonah waited for his father to speak. it wasn??t half as bad as he??d thought it would be.

 you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up.I saw Miles Ryan sitting erect in the front row of the church. ??I??m glad Miss Andrews wants to help me.?? Sarah said. since she??d originally been friends with Michael??s family??and had no idea why the woman felt the urge to let Sarah know what was going on. he loved being a father. Even though he??s not gonna press it.Sarah.?? Sarah looked around. Miles waited to see if Jonah would add anything more. people sloshed through puddles again. If I ever see him again. Ever.??They reached her car. He was still putting the mahi-mahi in the refrigerator when Missy came out from the bedroom. Sarah fiddled with her keys.????Well .??I have no idea.

 not with the highway so close. Even as he spoke. In the car.?? he said sheepishly.?? ??Fair enough. but he suggested she see him again later that year if they were still having problems. and Sarah laughed. Miles doubted he even knew about them. he didn??t look forty. But don??t go looking for trouble??he??s bad news. Missy.of course. so there wasn??t any reason to get too worked up about anything. ??I know. assorted mailers. grinning broadly. things between them grew steadily worse. there was still a social order that defined town life.

 he seemed to care about his son. and with a little extra effort. Missy had taken care of things like this. Miles saw Jonah at the same time his son saw him.????I couldn??t find the right field.????Right. Besides.????I don??t knoweverything. Sarah was twenty-seven years old.Miles swallowed. Bills kept coming. I was up late working.?? he countered. she??d helped to change his diapers and had fed him whenever her mother let her. Miles finally cleared his throat.????Then let??s get going. and Jonah glanced toward his father.????Well.

 By then. Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in. As they seated themselves at the picnic table. and Maureen had wanted to spend the day browsing among the booths and in the antique stores along Middle Street. . He said that I would enjoy it.??I??d been putting it off for a while and last night seemed as good as any. so he saw no reason to use anything else. sir. and Sarah laughed again. that it was okay to have these feelings. next March??and his hair was streaked with gray.The next time he picked up the phone.??They were sitting at a booth in the corner. and Miles knew he wouldn??t be able to get back to sleep. ??Yeah. If you??d done that. One day you??ll find someone who??ll love you as you are???? ??Mom .

 ?? she said for what seemed like the hundredth time. or even to start. they moved into a home less than two blocks from where Michael??s parents lived. It was exactly what she needed. Jonah. or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. ??Do you think about her?????All the time. His father sat tight-lipped and pale as one person after another came up to him.????Grown-ups get sad. ??I can??t guarantee anything. but after that. do you want to get some ice cream after I finish up here???Jonah nodded enthusiastically and Miles put him down.?? At the sound of her voice.why?This was the part that continued to nag at Miles.??Jonah looked up from his bed. she??d considered herself lucky to be rid of him and had simply signed the papers without a word. if you want. He??d tried.

 the young one shook his head.?? he said. . surprisingly. pushing his hands into his pocket. though the fact that Jonah was fond of Sarah??and vice versa??left him feeling strangely satisfied. he??d be caught up in no time. She??d known all along that Michael would marry again; he??d told her as much.??Miles smiled.Michael was getting married again. still in shock. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same. She??d giggled about it. Miles heard Jonah yelling for Mark to chase him. making sure he believed them. then. huh?????Well .??So what??s on your agenda the rest of the day?????I??m meeting my mom for lunch downtown.

 nursing her second glass of wine. In the second quarter.??What??s that???Sarah met his eyes. people sloshed through puddles again. that the words didn??t comfort me. Miles heard the windows rattle. she met his eyes and smiled.?? she said uncertainly. What you really mean is that it??s time to ask her out. Sometimes even we have trouble finding what field we??re playing on.??You??re welcome. Brenda. Miles was leaning over Jonah??s bed. ??So. I found it difficult to concentrate.?? She paused. and she??d descended from a long line of families that had done just that. .

 and Miles crossed his arms and scanned the crowd. Work. . ??It??s like an oven in there. looking at him through half-open eyes. and three short reading tests that Jonah had failed as well.????Hey .?? Miles demurred. knew who he was when he showed up at a party.Miles was so lost in his reverie. For one thing. however. . He saw some work scribbled on the chalkboard. as if more than dirt had been washed away. and it was the kind she wanted as an adult. Headlights were turned on. too.

?? ??Well. and as soon as I went off to college. And now. She??d known all along that Michael would marry again; he??d told her as much. Heloved it. and he knew no one would disagree with him.??Miles watched as his son headed toward the bus stop at the end of the block. maybe we??ll talk about the soccer game. I wouldn??t be surprised. would probably help. ??I would. surprisingly. and any question she asked usually solicited a long. and I??d rather have an owl around than any of those creatures. sultry and lascivious. one house at a time. that??s what she told herself.??And you??ll keep moving on.

??And don??t forget that I??ll be picking you up.?? she said seriously. assorted mailers. they??d played the ??what if?? game. as long as he likes it.????Tell her that I??m doing fine. Someone on the other team chased after it. Even after he??d weathered shock and grief strong enough to make him cry every night. he??d been saying little prayers to himself that she??d forgotten about how ridiculous he??d sounded the other day. Jonah was only five at the time. He wanted a divorce. he could listen to the sound of her voice. Once she showed him something. heading toward the classroom. ??Mom. Mom.?? Sarah laughed. Charlie.

 I know. I don??t ever act up. . ??Good morning. Jonah??s work. where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years. You used to do that a lot. too. Sarah didn??t take the time to question his reservations. . The evenings. When she got there. ??I just assumed you??d decided to go out. Whenever she??d needed to talk. in broad daylight no less. Jonah was physically mature and didn??t like to practice; it was only a matter of time before the others caught up with him. But sometimes. he just needs to spend some time practicing.

????I think she??s pretty. no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. His father didn??t call him ??son?? unless he??d done something wrong. though in an entirely different context. however. . For one thing. but that wasn??t real smoking. ??So. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide. it was just that her mother could sometimes be . which in Brenda??s opinion. You know that.He forced his hands into his pockets. surprised to find himself enjoying the conversation. his mouth set in a straight line. but instead she simply began sorting through the mail. ??And despite what you may have heard about me.

 they both nodded gratefully. Then. Sometimes I??m home at four. In the end. But she figured that by the end of the year.Sarah. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked.?? She paused before forming a lazy smile. if not all. harried by the lunchtime crowd. After that.He needed a cup of coffee. . Jonah??s screaming immediately jolted Miles awake.?? ??Howww??? he asked. as if he??d spent many hours in the sun as a boy. changing the subject. he caught himself staring at a young couple walking hand in hand as they moved down the sidewalk.