" How long do you plan on being on base?" " A few hours." " I've got business with Captain Buck." " Okay, thank you." "Hold!" "You can't do that." "Hold!" "We have a breach at Gate 3." "Hold that, please." "Hold it right there, miss." "How long ago?" "Batch of them shipped out this morning." "He's over the Pacific by now." "Boyfriend?" "More than that." "I'm sorry." "I'm afraid you're still gonna have to come with us, though, Miss..." "Eve." "Eve Miller." " Hi, Tom." " Hi." "Peyton?" "Hello, Jules." "What perfect timing." "We were just talking about you." " I'm Eve Miller." " Hello." "Eve reads your column." "Religiously." "Well, I write it the same way praying with every word that I don't say something stupid." "Well, your prayers don't seem to be working." "Excuse me?" " Perhaps we should..." " No." "Apparently you didn't read the note I sent you?" "Note?" "I'll summarize." "You know, you're a fine writer, Ms. MacGruder one of the best on the paper." "But when it comes to the topic of when to take a chance on love well, your opinion is..." "You know, forgive me, but it's idiotic." "I hate to interrupt, Eve, but I have a photographer waiting." "Excuse me." "Lovely to meet you." "Bye." "Sorry." "Hey, Mandi, did I get a letter from someone named Eve Miller?" "Not that I remember." "Why?" "Who is she, anyway?" "That's what I intend to find out." "Would you do me a favor?" "Run down to the mailroom and see if they know anything about it." "Sure." "And, Mandi?" "On your way back, stop at the kitchen and get me some aspirin." " You have a headache?" " Not yet." "I'll bring you the whole bottle." " You're absolutely right." " That's a nice change." "About what?" "Passion." "It should always be tempered with caution." "Especially when deciding whether or not to take a chance on amore." "Are you speaking from personal experience?" "It's none of your business." "Anyway, your columns have been excellent lately." " Seems to be a minority opinion." " What?" "Nothing." "So you came all the way down here just to give me a pat on the back?" "No." "I came all the way down here to tell you that in addition to writing the "Heart Healer,"" "...you're gonna be covering fashion and accessories while my staff writer's on maternity leave." "Why me?" "Because it's your old job and that should make it easy for you." " But I don't have the time." " Hey, Nora." "King." "Well, perhaps if you tempered your own passion, you'd find the time." "I ran into Mandi in the coffee room." "She said you were gonna need these." "Yep." "Look, Nora may be your boss, but you still shouldn't let her push you around." " Too late." " Well, in that case..." "I would prescribe either two of these or one of these." "Do any good?" "Not sure." "Try again." "Maybe up the dosage." "Yeah." "That's better." "To avoid relapse, we should probably sweep off your desk and move on to the next level of therapy." "It's exactly that kind of temptation that led to the fashion writer's maternity leave." "And, in turn, to my headache." "So you go back to work." "Unless you want to quit early and go for a jog with Christine and me?" "Enticing, but I have to run out to the university." "David wants to talk to me." "Says it's important." "Maybe I'll stop by after." "Maybe I'll be waiting." "I got an interesting e-mail from a friend in New York." "He said my name came up at a board meeting for the Times recently." "Which means what, exactly?" "Don't know, but I'll keep you posted." "Where was it?" " On Phil Brinker's desk." " Phil Brinker?" "In Editorial." "Hey, do you want me to yell at the mailroom guys for you?" " You think that'll do any good?" " Absolutely." "Not." "I'm so late." "Christine's gonna be mad." "Thank you, Mandi." "You're welcome." " So tell me about your boyfriend." " What boyfriend?" "Don't be coy." "You know the one, Mr. Body Art." " Mike?" "At the music store?" " Yeah." " No, he's not my boyfriend." " Does he know that?" "He's just a friend." " Don't you think he's a little too old for you?" " Please." "Okay, I suppose it's none of my business." "Of course it's your business." "You are my mother." "Can't tell you how weird that still sounds after just nine months." "What do you mean "weird"?" "What sounds weird about that?" "I don't mean anything negative by it." "Christine, the truth is, your adoptive father raised you until he died." "I mothered you for only two days, and after all of these years apart..." "I'm just a long way from knowing how to be a decent mom." "Okay." "How about I give you some advice, then?" "Okay." "First of all, "mother" doesn't have an "S" in front of it." "I am almost 19, you know." "And, second, keep reminding me that you're never gonna leave me not for any reason, not ever again." "Don't worry, baby." "Now that I've found you, you are stuck with me for good." "Okay, okay." "Come on, let's go before this morphs into a total tearfest." "I don't get it." "I mean, how can you give up baseball?" "It's been your life since the first time you whacked a T-ball." "Well, it's not anymore, okay?" "I gotta..." "I'm late for class." "No, hold on, we're not done yet." "Look, I just hate to see you give it up, that's all." "I mean, you..." "You have a real talent for the game." " That's bull." " What are you talking about?" "I've got decent stuff, but my fastball bites." "You and I both know that." "Your body won't be fully mature till you're 25 years old." "You don't know what you have and what you don't have." "No, what I don't have is any fire on my fastball or in my gut for the game, okay?" "Not anymore." "Can we just drop it?" "What about your scholarship?" " Obviously, if I don't play, I don't get one." " Yeah." "What?" "What, you're not gonna cover me?" "I didn't say that." "You know what?" "Don't worry about it." " What's that supposed to mean?" " It means don't worry about it." " I'd almost given up on you." " You wouldn't do that, would you?" "I won't if you won't." " Come sit with me." " Okay." "What did David want?" " To tell me that he's quitting baseball." " You're kidding." "Did he say why?" "Just that he's burned out." "Weird." "He was so passionate about the game." "I guess passion can have a shelf life." "Yeah, I guess it can." "Honey?" "Come here." " What's this?" " It's a letter from a reader." " Fan mail?" " Not exactly." "It's from this woman named Eve Miller." "I actually met her today at the office with Jules Grandfield." "The art critic?" "She called my last couple of columns idiotic." " Crackpot?" " I don't think so." "I'm actually kind of intrigued by her." " Really?" "Do you mind?" " No." ""Dear Heart Healer, I'm an avid reader of your column, and as such..." ""I feel it is my duty to tell you when you're full of baloney"." "Ouch." "Keep reading." ""Your readers take your words very seriously, and so when you tell them..." ""to let caution trump passion, you do them a grave disservice." ""I know from painful experience." ""I followed similar counsel nearly 40 years ago, and regret it to this day." ""Perhaps over a cup of tea, we might discuss the appropriate time..." ""to take a chance on love..." ""and while doing so, I'm quite sure I'll be able to dissuade you..." ""of your misguided opinion." ""If you're willing, you can reach me at the number below." "Sincerely, Eve Miller"." " You gonna give her a call?" " You think I should?" "Might get a column out of it, and..." " And what?" " Nothing." "What?" "You think I'm full of baloney, too, don't you?" " I..." " Be careful." " I think there's a time to be cautious." " Yes?" " And a time to be passionate." " Good answer." "And what time would you say it is now?" "Like a beacon in a storm." "You are a lifesaver, Mandi." "Were you up late?" "Late enough to need a bellhop for these bags." "You have an interview for the fashion section in five minutes." "And Nora called." "She wants your leads for your upcoming columns ASAP." "Would it be wrong to put out a hit on Nora?" " Yeah." " Wrong." "All righty, then." "Do me a favor." "Get in touch with Eve Miller for me." "The lost-letter lady?" "Tell her I'm ready to take her up on her offer." "Did you have that follow-up conversation with David?" "This morning." "And?" "He's still over baseball." " Would you like me to talk to him?" " That'd be fan tastic." "What'll be fantastic?" "If I speak to David, or my dress?" "Both." "With the emphasis on the dress." "Wow." "You become more beautiful every time I see you." "Thank you." "Champagne?" "What's the occasion?" "Well, I just thought a pre-theater cocktail might be a nice start to the evening's festivities." "My, but you're winning brownie points." "And also to soften you up for this." " King..." " What do you think?" "That's gorgeous." "Like the woman I hope will accept it." "Hey, I'd get down on one knee but too many sports injuries preclude that possibility so I will just come right out with it." "MacGruder..." "Sorry." "Peyton, will you marry me?" "You know that I love you, right?" "You do know that?" "I know that, and if your next sentence is gonna start with the word "but,"" "I'd like to cash in all the brownie points I got for bringing the bubbly and any others I might've earned over the last nine months." "Save them." "Just let me think about it, okay?" "What's there to think about?" "Well, there's Christine, for one thing." " What about her?" " Well, she's fragile." "She's trying to be strong, but, you know, she's really struggling." "The kid's lost both the people who raised her." "I'm all she has left, and we barely know each other." "I don't want to seem insensitive but how does our getting married affect that?" "I don't know." "I..." "That's one of the things I need to figure out." "Kingston, thank you for thinking me worthy of being your wife and for loving me enough to ask." "And for having the patience to wait for an answer?" "Come on." "No, I put my hand there first." "That's mine." "I'm sorry, that's mine." " Come on." " I'm winning." "I'm out of control." "That's because you're cheating." "Look at that." "That's not fair, that was mine." "I put my hand down first." " What about that?" " Yeah..." "Hello?" "Perfect timing!" "I was actually just about to call you." "Course catalog came from State and I checked with Admissions." "They said that since I'd already enrolled, you know, before the plane crash that I don't need to reapply." " That's cool, huh?" " Very cool." "You remember Mike, right?" " Of course." " Hey." "Great to see you again." "Listen, there's something I'd like to talk to you about." "Yeah, not a problem." "I got some stuff in the back I gotta do anyway." "Just give me a holler if a customer comes in, okay?" "I'll take care of them." "Okay." "Jeez, what's so important?" "King proposed to me last night." "Did you say yes?" "I said I'd have to think about it." "Well, that makes sense 'cause you guys have only been seeing each other seriously for like a couple of months now, right?" "Nine months." "Well, I mean, that's still not an eternity." "I've left clothes at the dry cleaner for longer than that." "I know." "It came as a surprise to me, too, that he was ready to make such a big commitment, but I do adore him." "Well, what's not to adore?" "I mean, King's a really great guy." "I just..." " What?" " I don't know." "Nothing." "Come on, now." "Spit it out." "Tell me what you're feeling." "I guess I'm just a little bit afraid of getting squeezed out of the family portrait again." "Christine." "Whatever happens between me and King, it'll never change the love I have for you." "Right." "No, of course." "I'm just being selfish." "It's gonna be great." "And whatever you decide is cool." "Really." "Peyton." "I was just coming to see you." " I need leads." " Yes, I know." "How about a follow-up on the caution-versus-passion piece?" "What kind of a follow-up?" "A new angle on the right time to take a chance on love." "New angle?" "Opposing opinion." "From a reader." "Flesh it out." "Get back to me." "Mandi, tell me you've gotten in touch with our friend Eve." "If I told you that, I'd be lying." "Do you still have the envelope that the letter came in?" "Good." "There's a return address." "Okay, if you're not able to get in touch with her today..." "I will stop by to see her tomorrow." "Okay." " Hey." " Hey." " I enjoyed the play last night." " Me, too, especially the last act." " You slept through the last act." " My point exactly." "Come in." "So, any news?" "On the decision front?" "King, you proposed to me less than 12 hours ago." "What?" "That's not enough time?" "I told Christine." "And?" "She did her best to act happy about it, but I think the idea of sharing me with you really has her pretty freaked out." "You don't think you're reading more into this than there really is?" "Maybe." "I mean, I don't know." "I'm just building my relationship with her and I'm terrified to do anything to damage it." "Right." "I think that we should both give our full attention to the kids right now." "Solidify our relationships, you know and then we can move on to re-focusing on ourselves later." "It's David." "Returning my text." "He's on for lunch." "Great." "Hey, my buddy from New York called." "It turns out that the Times is looking for a new sports editor." "Apparently, I'm on the short list." "Is that something you'd consider?" "Look, the short list is not an offer." "Let's not worry about it until we have to, okay?" "Now go." "Solidify my relationship with David so you and I can move on to re-focusing." "Thanks for taking the time to have a sandwich with me." "First lesson I learned in college, never pass up a free meal." "Not entirely free, I'm afraid." "You are gonna have to listen to my third degree about why you quit baseball." "I figured that's what this was all about." "David, I don't care whether or not you play." "I really don't." "I care about you and your dad..." " And I'm worried about you guys." " What's to worry?" "You don't seem to be able to communicate." "He says that you don't talk." "You say that he doesn't listen." " Well, it's kind of always been like that." " Always?" "Well, since he and my mom got a divorce anyway, yeah." "Do you think maybe it's time that you got back to what it once was?" "I mean, you don't have to ignore what happened but you don't have to get hung up on it, either, you know?" "Find some middle ground, build a new relationship on it." "You know, your father would do anything for you." "Yeah, except pay my tuition." "Did he say that?" "Well, not exactly." "No." "Well, anyway, it doesn't really matter." "Not anymore." "What does that mean?" "David?" "I didn't just quit baseball." "I quit school." " You what?" " I'm not into it." "I haven't been all year." "That's why my grades are lousy, which is why they cut me from the team." "They cut you from the team?" "Yeah, my dad's gonna have a heart attack when he finds out." "But I don't care." "This just isn't my thing." "Not anymore." "So I said, "Okay, what is your thing?" And you'll never guess what he said." "Art school." "What?" "Art school." "He wants to go to art school." "In LA." "CalArts." "You gotta be kidding." "He wants to be an artist?" " Yeah." "What's wrong with that?" " It's ridiculous!" "That's what's wrong with it." "That is so knee-jerk." "Give the kid a chance, you know?" "You should at least talk to him." "Hey." "Promise me." "Why is it I find it impossible to say no to you but you have no trouble at all saying no to me?" "All right, Peyton..." "I will talk to David." "I will." "I'll even do my best to stay calm." "But you have to promise me something in return." "That you'll think about your relationship with Christine." "I know you feel that you owe her your full attention and that's fine, I understand." "Just don't confuse maternal obligation with penance for having given her up in the first place." "Jeez, MacGruder, I didn't mean to upset you." "You didn't." "It's just the smoke." "Come here, then." "I'll protect you." "Can you protect me from myself while you're at it?" "Ms. Miller?" "I see you found my note." "If you want to punch me in the nose, Ms. MacGruder you're gonna have to come inside to do it." "I'm sorry to just stop by like this." "I tried to call several times." "I was visiting my daughter in Raleigh." "Please, make yourself at home." "Thank you." "You know, it's me who should be apologizing." "When we met the other day at the paper, I was..." " Refreshingly candid." " ...unforgivably rude." "Well, either way, you definitely left an impression." " That's why I'm here." " Well, I'm delighted that you are." "Tea?" " Sure." " All right." "Is this a picture of your daughter?" "And those two precious beauties with her are my grandchildren." "One of these guys your husband?" "Yes." "Billy's the one with his arm around me." " Is he a pilot?" " Copilot." "Ritchie Everby, loadmaster." "Ben Morrick, pilot." "Rescue helicopters." "They were still in training in 1966 when this was taken." "Are you two still married?" "Billy died when my daughter was four." "I'm sorry." "Was it in the war?" "In Vietnam?" "Ben went." "Billy stayed behind." "Why don't you have a seat and tell me a little bit about yourself?" "All right." "Well, my husband passed away, too, some time ago." "Like you, I have a daughter." "With so much in common, I wonder why we find ourselves at odds when it comes to the question of when to trust our hearts as opposed to our heads." "Exactly what I'm hoping to learn by interviewing you." " Interviewing me?" " Yes." "For the "Heart Healer," my column." "It's an opposing point of view." "No, no, I'm not interested in being interviewed, Ms. MacGruder." "But your note, your invitation..." "For a discussion, an exchange." " An exchange?" " Stories, life lessons." "I mean, maybe even a secret or two." "But it's you that my readers will be interested in." "But it's you that will interest me, Ms. MacGruder." "Give-and-take." "That way, we both gain something." "I'm afraid I misunderstood." "Well, I'll still be here if you change your mind." " Thanks for your time." " Bye." " You're kidding." " Middleborough Times, can I help you?" " Mandi." " How'd it go?" " Not so well." " Nutcase?" "No, but she wouldn't agree to an interview." " That's too bad." " Yeah." "King's not in there." " Where'd he go?" " I don't know." "He did leave an hour ago, though." "Hey, it's King." "You've reached my cell phone." "Leave a message." "King, it's me." "Listen, if you're gonna have your talk with David remember your promise." "Be cool, and call me." "Or stop by later." "Run down to the paper's morgue." "Dig up anything you can find on Eve Miller and her husband." " Sure." " Okay." "Mom?" " Christine, what are you doing here?" " I wanted to talk to you about something." " Do you have a sec?" " Sure." "Okay." "So I've been thinking." "A lot." "About you, and me, and King, and this whole marriage thing and I have to tell you, I'm pretty stressed about it." "Trust me, that makes two of us." " So did you decide anything yet?" " No." "Okay." "Okay, well, what I wanted to tell you was don't let me be the thing that keeps you and King apart." "I mean, don't let me or us or our relationship be the reason if you do decide not to get together with King." "Just leave me out of the equation because I can handle you being married but I can't handle you resenting me." "Okay?" "Yeah." "Okay." "Okay." "Good." "Good." "I gotta go." " Christine?" " Yeah?" "I love you." "I love you, too." "Hey, it's King." "You've reached my cell phone." "Got it." " Wow." "That was fast." " It's just one file, but it's thick." "Husband's name was William Stanhope Miller." "Known to friends as Billy." "From a wealthy family out west, Charlotte." " Banking money." " What about Eve?" "Another country-club type." "Her father was a judge, mother a social diva in Chapel Hill." "Is there anything else?" "A ton of stuff." "Apparently, she's a pretty big-deal artist." " Ceramicist." " Right." "One child from her marriage with Billy." "I know." "A daughter." "Did she ever remarry?" "No record of it here, but there is a lot more to go through." "Yeah, you know what?" "I'm gonna take that home with me." "I guess you told him, huh?" "About our conversation?" "Your dad?" "Yeah." "You didn't tell me not to." " Why?" "What happened?" " He freaked out, that's what happened." "He found me at the field house cleaning out my locker, and started yelling at me accusing me of having a crappy work ethic of blowing an opportunity that any kid would kill for." "Come on, David." "I'm sure your dad will understand." "No, no." "Don't defend him, okay?" "Because the reality is, I don't care anymore." "About what either of you has to say." " Wait a minute." "Come on, now." " Forget it!" "David, don't leave like this." "David!" "David!" " Hey." "Come on in." " Hey." " Get yourself something from the fridge." " Thanks." " What's all that?" " Background." " On?" " Eve Miller." " You called her?" " Yeah." "She talk you out of being cautious?" "Not yet." "Listen, I sort of need to hear your side of the conversation with David." "What do you mean, "my side"?" "I've already heard his side." "He was waiting for me when I came home." "He was very upset." "He said that you yelled at him about his work ethic." "'Cause he doesn't have one!" "But you promised me..." " That you were gonna give him a chance..." " To what?" "To explain why he wants to go to art school." "No art school." "Spare me." "I'm sure one of his buddies probably told him he'd get to draw naked girls." "I mean, come on, the kid couldn't paint a house, let alone a picture." "That's not the point." "The machine'll get it." "This is Peyton, leave a message." "Hi, it's Christine." "Listen, I think I'm gonna have to postpone cleaning out my dad's closet with you tomorrow morning." "I've got some other stuff that I'm kind of busy with and to be honest, I'm not really sure that I'm ready for it, so..." "Anyhow, I guess that you're probably out with King so I guess we'll just talk whenever." "They can't communicate, but they sure can manipulate." "If that's what she's doing, the question is why she feels she needs to." "Come on, Peyton, let's be realistic." "They're just kids trying to find their way." "Look, I understand how difficult it's been for Christine how much she needs you." "I can help, like you help with David." "We can deal with them together." "Or we can use them as an excuse to keep us apart." "You think I'm looking for excuses?" "I think commitment can be terrifying especially to someone who's already suffered a loss." "As to whether or not you're looking for an excuse..." "I guess that's something you have to ask yourself." "I'm gonna make it an early night." "Dearest readers, in a world in which we must juggle the complex problems of work and family, with all its contemporary definitions when is the right time to take a chance on love?" "When do I confront the ghosts that seem so determined to destroy my future?" "When should we risk upsetting the delicate balance between the complicated elements of our interpersonal relationships in the name of passion?" "Hey." " Christine?" " In here." "Late night or early morning?" " Didn't you get my messages?" " Yeah." "I tried to call you back about a hundred times." "You never answered." "Music too loud to hear the phone?" "Yeah, probably." "I had friends over." "Yeah." "I saw one of them leaving." "The one who isn't your boyfriend." " What's wrong with you?" " You." "Staying up all night, drinking and partying..." " with someone who is way too old for you." " "Drinking and partying"?" "That's what's wrong with me." "Is this the stuff that you were so busy with?" "So what if it was?" "I think you're acting out, Christine, in ways that are self-destructive to get even with your father for dying." " That is totally insane." " Is it?" "Yes, it is." "I don't even drink." "Right." "Mike drank two cases of beer all by himself." "He was here with his band." "They're cutting a demo, so I let them rehearse in the basement." "They were working, it wasn't a party." "And then I made them some food, okay?" "And as far as being mad at my dad, yeah, you're right." "He picked a really lousy time to die." "And, yeah, okay, I am mad, but not just at him." "I'm mad at my adoptive mother who died, too and I'm mad at you, who actually had a say in the matter and you still chose to give me away." "Now, if you're finished judging me, I have to get ready for work." "Were you embarrassed by those braces?" "Scared on your first day of kindergarten?" "Who gave you your first kiss?" "Did he break your heart or did you break his?" "I don't know the answers to those and about a thousand other questions." "I missed so much of your life." "Too much, maybe because now that I have the chance to be the mother that I always dreamt of being..." "I'm making a total mess out of it." "All that matters to me is that you never stop trying." "Unfortunately, I think that's about the only thing I can guarantee." "Ms. MacGruder." "Peyton." "I'd like to have that conversation with you, if you're still willing." "Yeah, come on in." "So what made you come back?" "I'm sort of at a crossroads in my personal life and somehow I thought..." "I don't know what I thought." "Maybe that a view with a perspective other than your own might be useful?" "Maybe." "Okay." "Let's put our cards on the table." "I assume you did some research on me." " I..." " You'd be a lousy reporter if you didn't." "What'd you learn?" "All right." "Both you and your husband came from well-to-do politically-connected families." "Our mothers were sorority sisters." "Billy and I were destined to be married, at least in their minds from the moment we were in the womb." "You studied art at Davidson." "Yes." "Of course, my father never thought that I'd ever be able to make a living selling my work so he insisted on a teaching credential which brings us back to this photograph and the story I wanted to tell you when I sent you my note." " More tea?" " No, I'm fine, thanks." "Billy joined the Navy when he graduated from Duke." "By the time he was in flight school, we were engaged." "I followed him to Newport News where I got a job teaching at a girls' school near the base." "He became very close to his training crew and when I arrived, they very graciously made me the fourth musketeer." "Tell me about them." "Well, Ritchie, he was so full of life and joy delighted by every breath that God gave him." " Are you still in touch with him?" " I was." "Till he died." "A few years back." "Cancer." "And the pilot?" "Ben Morrick." "Well, he was the direct opposite of Billy." "South Side of Chicago." "Street-smart, charming." "He loved speed, danger." "He was always trying to get the rest of us to join him in some crazy stunt." " Like what?" " Well..." "There was this..." "There was this one crispy, cold autumn day." "It was a few weeks before they were to ship out and we all decided we'd go for a hike in the woods not far from the base." "Ben, give it to me." " Almost missed it, Ritchie." " Get out of here." "We came across an old bridge that went across a gorge." "Ben couldn't resist running ahead and climbing up on the railing." "The world-famous tightrope walker, yawning in the face of certain death." "Naturally, he wanted the rest of us to join him." "Ritchie and Billy were not moved by his madness." "I, on the other hand, succumbed to the challenge." "Billy was beside himself." "Actually, I think he was more concerned with how he was going to explain my death to my parents than he was about my well-being." "Of course, that made me want to do it even more." "Now, I was halfway across and I stopped and foolishly glanced down at the creek." "It was a long way down and I very nearly lost both my footing and my courage until I glanced back at Ben and his outstretched hand, and then up into his eyes where I found the gumption to continue until his fingers wrapped around mine." "Well, then we jumped down, laughing like the lunatics that we were and bowed as if we were members of a circus troupe." "Ritchie, he applauded wildly, and Billy..." "Billy was so mad he didn't speak to me for near a week." "You had a wild streak." "Repressed by the world in which I was raised." "Whatever happened to Ben?" "Well, after he served in Vietnam, he married a Cambodian woman." "Stayed in Asia, flying mercy missions for various charities." "So when was the last time you saw him?" "Well, I think we have to save that story." "You know, my clay's drying out." "I need to attend to it." "Why don't you bring a couple of sandwiches with you tomorrow for lunch?" "We can continue this with you telling me about Gil." "Did I tell you my husband's name?" "It's a two-way street we're traveling together, remember?" "I did a bit of research myself." "Your husband died in a traffic accident." "You were pregnant at the time." "You gave the child up for adoption and you were reunited last Christmas, after that terrible airplane tragedy." "How could you know all of that about me?" "Well, it's not hard when you have a source." "Jules Grandfield." "He's a great fan of my work." "And a friend." " And a shameless gossip." " Yes, that, too." "He tells me that you're involved with a sports writer." "A man whom, I'd be willing to bet, has something to do with the crossroads that brought you back to see me." "Tomorrow then?" "Tomorrow." " Hey." " Hey." "I hope you like ravioli con funghi because they ran out of your favorite." "But I also got you a Caesar salad and..." "Yeah, listen." "Sorry, I can't stay." "Come on." "I bought enough food for a regiment." "David moved out of his dorm." "No one seems to know where he's gone including his mom, who's been calling me non-stop, panicked, ticked off..." "Says it's all my fault he quit school..." "King..." "And then there's this New York thing." "So the interview went well?" "You charmed them?" "Must have." "They offered me a job on the spot." "Wow." "Mr. Irresistible." "To everyone but you." "They..." "They want a five-year commitment and an answer by the end of the week." "Okay, I see." "You know, it's unlikely at my age that I'll get another opportunity like this, Peyton." "And I will happily pass it by if..." "If you'll just agree to marry me." "King, I..." "Let the clay slide between your palms." "Press evenly on both sides, letting the bowl's wall get thinner." "And let your hands glide up to the lip of the piece making the shape more delicate and more fragile." "Well, should've quit while I was ahead." "Well, to have a chance at success you need to have the courage to face potential failure." "Here." "Tell me about your sports writer." "Is your relationship serious?" "It was." "He recently proposed and I put him off until last night." "King sort of pressed me for an answer that I just couldn't give." "Couldn't or wouldn't?" "Okay, let's talk about something else, then." "Like what?" "I don't know." "How about your relationship with Gil?" "I'd rather not." "This was supposed to be give-and-take, remember?" "So far, all it's been is I give, you take." "So how long were you married before you got pregnant?" "Two years." "Was your husband excited about having a baby?" "He had been my college professor." " It's so embarrassing." "It's just such a cliché." " All right, but go on." "He was everything that you would expect him to be." "Handsome and charming and rumpled and so smart." "You must've had plenty of competition, then, for his attention." "Let's just say he did nothing to discourage his popularity." "And impending fatherhood, how'd he deal with that?" "He tried at first to get used to the idea of it, but it didn't fit his self-image." "And then when I began to show, he just became more and more..." "I don't know..." "Disengaged." "That's a word I understand very well." ""Disengaged" is about the best thing I can say about my relationship with Billy." "Our marriage was, in essence, arranged." "We respected each other, but there was very little affection..." " Hey." " ...never mind love." " Hey." " Gentlemen." "Hey." "You can have the winner." "In the meantime, dance with Eve, will you?" "She's bored." "I can't handle her staring daggers at me." "Our lives were destined to be rich with privilege but totally devoid of passion." "Ben and I we tried our best to not become involved, but..." "Well, it was inevitable." "But if it was Ben you loved, how did you end up married to Billy?" "Do you love..." "What's his name, your sports writer?" "Kingston, King." "Just saying his name makes you smile and yet you can't bring yourself to marry him." "Why is that?" "Did you ever write to Ben, you know, after Billy died?" "There was no point." "I mean, not after Ritchie told me he'd married another woman." " But when was that?" " It was the '70s." " It's so long ago." "You know, maybe..." " It doesn't matter." "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know how to begin to find him." "I wouldn't know where to begin looking, not after all these years." "I must've picked this one out for you when I was what, six years old?" "I can't believe that you wore this one to work." "How do we make forward progress when the past weighs on us like Marley's chains?" "With what tool can we cut those onerous bonds?" "Therapy?" "Confession?" "Or perhaps, more simply, with a candid dialog between trusted friends." "I've found such an opportunity recently with a woman whom I have come to greatly admire one of you, dear readers, who wrote to oppose my admonition to be cautious when opening one's heart to love." "I'm beginning to be persuaded by her point of view and as her argument continues to unfold, I hope to share it with you in this column." "Okay, so I talked to a yeoman first class whatever that is, at the Veterans Administration." "Very, very sexy voice, by the way." "I'm betting that he has a ship tattoo right on his..." " Mandi." " Sorry." " Bottom-line it, please?" " All right." "The last time the Navy made any contact with Ben Morrick was in 1974." "They sent his discharge papers to an address in Chiang Mai." "Thailand?" "Okay." "This is gonna be a long shot, but what the heck." "I pulled these off the Net a list of nongovernmental organizations operating in Asia." "Start calling them." "See if anybody's ever heard of the guy." "Okay." "There are fewer names in the Beijing telephone directory." "Well, who knows?" "Maybe the first one will be the lucky winner." "If not, I'll give you a hand when I get back." "Be right there." " Hey, come in." "Thanks for coming over." " Hi." "Your message made it sound important." "What's all this?" "It's stuff for the homeless shelter." "Your dad's stuff?" "Yeah." "I decided it was time to get my head straight." "About a lot of things." "I can't tell you how proud that makes me." " But that's not why I called you." " No?" "No." "Mike's bass player, Ricki, let it slip that David's been crashing on his hide-a-bed." "Said he's supposed to keep it quiet... 'cause he's trying to avoid his dad or something?" " Who's been worried sick." " Yeah, that's what I figured." "Anyway, he got himself a gig at this one-hour photo place." "This is the address right here." " Great." "Thank you, Christine." " You're welcome." "Mom?" "Don't let David know that I'm the one that dimed him out, okay?" "Don't worry." "I never reveal a source." " Any luck with the NGOs?" " I thought you'd never ask." "You found him?" "You found Ben Morrick?" "Seemed like I talked to every dot-org in Asia to do it, but, yeah." "By the way, you might want to give Nora the heads-up about the gigundous phone bill that's about to come her way." " I'll do that." "Tell me." " Okay." "On about the 50th phone call..." "I spoke with an NGO who he'd flown with for nearly 10 years." "Apparently, his job was to shuttle orphans and sick people and medical supplies in and out of remote areas." " Mission outposts, that sort of thing." " So is he still in the jungle, or what?" "If you consider Washington the jungle, 'cause a lot of people do." "He's in DC?" "Just outside." "He retired there six months ago." "You got all this from one phone call?" "Guy I spoke with at the non-profit home office in Hong Kong was very friendly, invited me for dim sum." "Well, did your new friend offer up an address?" "Indeed he did." "You're gonna have to take your act on the road, though if you want to talk to him." "No e-mails, phone's unlisted." "You, young lady, deserve a raise." "Feel free to mention that to Nora, too." "Hey, what a surprise." "Usually only fire marshals and fitness freaks use the stairs." "I stopped by your office." "I thought maybe you'd gone up to New York again." "Not yet." "Anyway, I'm glad I found you." "I need to talk to you." " Really?" " About David." "David?" "What about him?" "Christine found out where he's working." "It's a one-hour photo place." " He's all right?" " Far as I know, yeah." "I'm gonna call his mother." " King?" " Yeah." " I was reminded of something recently." " What's that?" "In order to have a chance at success you need the courage to face potential failure." "David has the strength." "He just needs to know that, win or lose, you'll still be there for him." "Peyton, why can't you tell me what's really keeping us apart?" "Eve." "I'm so glad I caught you." "No, I'm just running off to the gallery." "I won't keep you." "I've got the greatest news." "I found Ben Morrick." "And the best part, he lives less than 200 miles from here." "It's near Washington." " No, I'm sorry." "No, I..." "I've got to go." "Sorry." " I've..." "Eve, wait a minute." "Eve." "What happened to the two-way street?" "The give and the take?" "You know, we were both supposed to get something out of this, remember?" "So far, all I've gotten is more confused than ever." "Please, call me." "You know the number." " Mr. Morrick?" " Yes?" " Ben Morrick?" " That's right." "Can I help you?" "I sure hope so." "Nice place you've got here, Mr. Morrick." " Your flowers are beautiful." " Thanks." "Call me Ben." "My wife got me into gardening." "She said it would be the yin to the yang of flying choppers." " Sounds like a wise woman." " She was indeed." "She passed away." " Three years ago." " I'm sorry." "So, tell me..." "Tell me what brings you all the way up from Middleborough." "What could a reporter possibly want with me?" "Eve Miller sent me a note." "Eve?" "She wrote to complain, actually, about a column I'd written." " What kind of column?" " On relationships." "Specifically, I was discussing when to take a chance on love." "And her note led to several conversations in which she told me about Ritchie, Billy and you." "What exactly did she tell you?" "About how you had all trained together and the friendship you shared and how you once encouraged her to cross a gorge on the railing of a bridge." ""Gorge" is a bit of an overstatement." "She implied it was a dangerous step for her." "Both literally and figuratively." "She said the two of you got close after that." "It was a long time ago." "You knew that she and Billy got married, I assume?" "Ritchie Everby told me." "We ran into each other in Saigon." "He said Billy's father had pulled some strings and got him a posting stateside as a wedding present." " Were you surprised by their marriage?" " Yes and no." "It was certainly what their families wanted for their own agendas." "Still, it was hard to believe that Eve would..." "She was so curious." "I mean, so full of life." "And Billy, he was just the opposite." "She deserved..." "What?" "More than Billy was capable of offering." "But there was nothing you could do or say, right?" "I mean, Billy was your best friend and she'd already agreed to marry him." "It's quite a dilemma." "Yes, quite a dilemma." "So how did you resolve it?" "In the worst way imaginable, I'm afraid." "What did Eve tell you?" "About how it ended?" "Between us, I mean?" "She was vague." "Which is why I'm here, probably." "I guess I'd like to have your perspective on it." "She did lead me to believe, Ben, that she still regrets not following her heart." "So what happened?" "Just a few days before I left for Nam the rainshower had rolled in from the ocean and I was driving through it when I saw Eve riding her bike down the road." "I knew I shouldn't have stopped." "I knew what would happen." "But I somehow convinced myself that we would be forgiven our transgressions that we could ignore our obligations." "You gotta let me talk to Billy." "Let me tell him we didn't mean to fall in love..." " No." " ...that it just happened." " No." " I'll make him understand." "You'll see, Eve." " You can't tell him, Ben." "Not now, not ever." " Eve..." "Eve." "If only we were willing to risk everything for an abiding love." "Unfortunately..." "Eve didn't have it in her to take that chance." "You never saw her again after that day?" "I wanted to." "Desperately." "But the choice wasn't mine to make." "It was hers." "You knew Billy got killed, right?" "A sailing accident." "Years ago." "I didn't know." "Eve's phone number." "Unfortunately, Ms. MacGruder..." "Peyton it's still her choice to make." " Can I help you?" " Maybe." "I'm David Danville's father." "I called yesterday." "They said he might be working here tonight." "Yeah, he's in the darkroom." "You can go on back." "Okay, thanks." "David?" " Hey." " Hey." "Look, for some reason, you and I seem to be on different wavelengths lately and I just want to get past that." "Okay." "Okay, so talk to me, why don't you, about this whole art-school concept." "There's nothing to talk about, really." "I'm going, end of story." "You expect to pay your tuition working here?" "I expect to pay for my plane ticket working here." "I'll figure out the rest when I get to LA." "Where's all this coming from all of a sudden..." " This newfound passion?" " It's not all of a sudden." " No?" " No." "It's something I got started with a while ago, after you and Mom..." "You split up." "It was kind of a distraction for me from all that..." "From all that stuff going on." "Yeah, those were tough times for everybody, especially you." "I know." "What I regret most about the whole thing is the gap it put between us that I still haven't been able to bridge." "I could have done better." "I should have done better." "And for that failure, I am truly sorry." "If you want to go to art school and draw pictures, that's fine by me." "I will support you in every way I can." " Okay." "Cool." " Cool." "And just so you know, it's not drawing that I'm into." " No?" " This is..." "This is what I do." "You took these?" " Yeah." "Well, they're not all that good, but..." " Not good?" "They're amazing." "Amazing enough to get me into CalArts, anyway." "I mean, who knows, if you can win the Pulitzer maybe it's in the genes." "Wow, somewhere along the way I seem to have forgotten what an incredible kid you are." "If you can forgive your old man for that..." "I promise it will never happen again." "How could you have done that?" "How could you have taken it upon yourself..." "How could I not?" "After everything you told me about losing the love of your life because you weren't brave enough to follow your passion." "And yet all these years later, when I offer you a second chance, you what?" " You still don't have the courage?" " You know, you don't understand." "You keep saying that." "What don't I understand?" "My daughter is his daughter." "She's not Billy's child, she's Ben's." "Of course she is." "Of course." "By the time I realized I was pregnant, Ben had been shipped out." "It was an election year and my father was running on a platform of what we now call family values." "I didn't know how Ben would take the news." "So I chose caution over passion." "Eve, that was 40 years ago." "What's left to hold you back now?" "I stole Ben's child from him." "Raised her with another man's name." "What could I possibly expect from him after all these years?" "How could I begin to explain?" "Where would I find the words?" "In the same place that I found the words to tell my child that I tried to take her life along with my own." "And when I failed and she was born, I gave her away." "I found the words." "What strength that must have taken, Peyton." "And yet, you're not brave enough to commit your heart to King." "I can't help but wonder why." " Because I'm a..." " No." "Don't tell me." "Tell him." "More than four decades ago, my critic and new friend chose a well-marked path rather than risk following an unblazed trail." "Her regret at having made that choice had lasted a lifetime." "And when, after all these years, fate offered her another chance to choose a do-over, if you will she balked because of a long-harbored secret." "Hello, Ben." "After that day in the rain, I was confused about what I..." "What we'd done, about who I was, who I wanted to be." "It took me a while to sort it out, to realize that the love I felt for you was real." " And by the time I came to tell you..." " You came to tell me?" "Rode my bike." "Didn't bother slowing down at the gate and got arrested by the Marines." "But not before I made it to your quarters and found out that you had left that morning for Vietnam." "Why didn't you write, Eve?" "I would have but I found out the next day that I was pregnant." "Pregnant?" "You were gone, Ben, to the other side of the world." "I didn't know what to do." "I tortured myself for days and then, finally, I turned in the only direction I felt I could to the world in which I'd been raised." "To Billy, you mean." "I decided that under the circumstances to avoid a scandal to protect our families' reputations that I would go through with the wedding." "It was a cowardly decision, Ben, and one I regretted even as I stood in front of the pastor because you were always there, Ben, between us." "And then when Billy died, I tried to find you but Ritchie told me that you had married another woman." "I did everything I could to get you out of my mind and I failed miserably." "And then Peyton MacGruder told me that she'd found you and I wanted to run away because I didn't believe I had it inside me to tell you the truth." "But here you are." "Yes." "Tell me everything about your life that I've missed." " Ben, there's so much." " We have time." "Start..." "Start by telling me about our child." "Ben, you have a daughter." "Her name's Dawn." "And, not to make you feel old, but you've got grandchildren." "Not just one, but two." "Mandi, have you seen King?" " No." "I've been hiding out." " From who?" "Nora." "She's called me at least three times since my first latté." "She wants this week's column, and she wants it now." "Well, it's not finished yet." " Is today Friday?" " All day." "What time does the morning flight leave for New York?" "About an hour ago." "Oh, no." "You okay, boss?" "Book me on the first flight to La Guardia." " What about Nora?" " Stall her." " Me?" " You." " How?" " Don't know, don't care." " Where are you going in such a hurry?" " New York." "I thought that you were..." "But they're painting your office." "It's part of the deal I made with Nora so I wouldn't go to the Times." "Course, I didn't tell her I already passed on the offer." " You turned it down?" " Yeah." " Can I come in?" " Yeah, sure." "Listen, I want to hear why you turned down the job but there's something that I really need to say first." "Okay." "You were right." "About me using Christine as an excuse to not commit to you, to us." "I told you about Gil and how we met." "That he was your professor, right?" "And I was his adoring student." "And our relationship was built on passion mostly and I was naïve enough to think that that was gonna last." "It didn't." "When I got pregnant, Gil became distant." "Started finding excuses to spend time away from home and I just started suspecting an affair." "I didn't realize." "I mean, I thought you two were..." " Desperately in love." " Yeah." "I know." "I confronted him the night of the accident." "I accused him of betraying our marriage." "He denied it, of course." "But we screamed at each other." "We said vile things that I'm just never gonna forget." "And then he walked out into the rain and I never saw him again." "Was it true?" "What you thought?" "Less than a month after I buried him, I got a letter." "One of his grad students looking for absolution for the affair that she'd had with him." "I'm sorry." "She said that he had ended it with her that night and that he was on his way back here to beg for my forgiveness." "But he slid off the road." "I just stopped trusting my heart then." "I was afraid that the passion you feel for me would disappear like it did with Gil, and I just couldn't face that again no matter how much I love you." "But now..." "What?" "Having just seen firsthand a lifetime of love squandered because of fear..." "I decided I couldn't let that happen to us." "So, tell me, why did you turn down the job?" "I had to." "I started fantasizing about your pantyhose drying on my shower curtain." " What?" " I know." "Weird, huh?" "I kept imagining my last razor being used to shave your gorgeous legs." "Started thinking about how little closet space I actually need." "And I couldn't conceive of a life without you in it." "So..." "Even if you don't want this today, Peyton, that's okay." "'Cause I intend to propose every day for as long as it takes..." " Until you feel you are ready to say..." " Yes." " Yes?" " Yes." "Oh, my." "Eventually, my friend overcame her fear and was rewarded with an opportunity to rediscover her long-lost passion." "The lesson she learned from her experience passed on to me and now to you, dear readers, is this." "Love is alive and constantly evolving." "Don't attempt to understand it or reason with it or defer it." "We are gathered together to witness the exchange of vows between Peyton MacGruder and Kingston Danville." "Your love for each other will grow deeper with every passing day." "Or deny it entry into your heart with excuses molded from doubt or insecurity." "King, will you take Peyton to be your wife?" "Will you cherish her friendship, trust and honor her?" "Be faithful to her in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" "I will." "Peyton, will you take King to be your husband?" "Will you cherish his friendship, trust and honor him?" "Be faithful to him in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" "I will." "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." "You may kiss the bride." "Rather, when it comes your way, grasp love." "Hold onto it for all you're worth." "Never let fear keep you from reaching for life's bouquets." "And, finally, never ever fail to take a chance on love."