He tapped the package against my head Buzzers won’t pretend to pretend Hayes felt sorry for her, until he remembered that it was his fantasy, and then he felt sorry for himself Today’s the second day of our first marriage, he wrote Not a shelter for the suddenly senile and abruptly decrepit but a community of active seniors He is in trouble In grade school he used to pretend to chew gum in class “Listen harder,” he said He has asked her what the black polish means and she looked at him as if he asked what dancing, what the leaf of a tree means The night before was cold and she had dreamed she was making a quilt out of Vic, Don, George, and the Lieutenant, sewing their legs and chests together while telling them to remain very still Lugo notices Stay With Dad written on the list, among her homework She had lately become a careful reader of signs and this seemed a very good sign The field was shrill with sunlight