"Daddy, you're so amazingThis is a comeback... "Daddy, you're so amazingThis is a comeback and
a half
"How much is all this sugar going to cost me?"
"Millions," she said, and laughed
"Still planning to drop in on The Hummingbirds
tour?" I tried to sound just interestedNot
particularly concerned with my almost-twenty-yearold
daughter's love life
573
"No," she said, "I think that's off Only five
words, and little ones at that, but in those five
words I heard the different, older Illy, one who
might in the not-so-distant future be at home in a
business suit and pantyhose and pumps with
practical three-quarter heels, who might wear her
hair tied back at the nape of her neck during the
day and perhaps
chanel quilted handbag carry a briefcase down airport
concourses instead of wearing a Gap-sack on her
backNot an If-So-Girl any longer; you could
strike any if from this vision
"The whole thing, or-"
"That remains to be seen
"I don't mean to pry, honeyIt's just that
enquiring Dads-"
" - want to know, of course they do, but I can't
help you this timeAll I know right now is that I
still love him - or at least I think I do - and I
miss him, but he's got to make a choice
At this point, Pam would have asked Between you
and the girl he's been singing with? What I asked
was, "Are you eating?"
She burst into peals of merry laughter
"Answer the question, Illy
574
"Like a damn
rolex watches for women pig!"
"Then why aren't you out to lunch now?"
"A bunch of us are going to have a picnic in the
park, that's whyComplete with anthro study notes
and FrisbeeI'm bringing the cheese and French
breadAs long as you're eating and not brooding
in your tent
"Eating well, brooding moderately Her voice
changed again, became the adult oneThe abrupt
switches back and forth were disconcerting
"Sometimes I lie awake a little, and then I think
of you down thereDo you lie awake?"
"Sometimes
"Daddy, was marrying Mom a mistake you made? That
she made? Or was it just an accident?"
"It wasn't an accident and it wasn't a mistake
Twenty-four good years, two fine daughters,
borse replica and
we're still talkingIt wasn't a mistake, Illy
"You wouldn't change it?"
People kept asking me that question
"If you could go backwould you?"
575
I paused, but not longSometimes there's no time
to decide what's the best answerSometimes you
can only give the true answer
"Sometimes I miss the old times, tooWhen things
were less complicatedI could have
spoken - wanted to - but kept silentSometimes
silence is best"Dad, do people ever deserve
second chances?"
I thought of my own second chanceHow I had
survived an accident that should have killed me
And I was doing more than just hanging out, it
seemedI felt a rush of gratitudeI can't wait to see youYou'll get an
cartier tank louis official invitation
soon
I sat for a moment with the phone at my ear after
she hung up, listening to the nothing"Do the day
and let the day do you," I saidThen the dial
576
tone kicked in, and I decided I had one more call
to make, after all
viii
This time when Alice Aucoin came to the phone, she
sounded a lot more lively and a lot less cautious
I thought that was a nice change
"Alice, we never talked about a name for the
show," I said
"I was sort of assuming you meant to call it
'Roses Grow from Shells,'" she said
"It is," I said, looking out to the Florida room
and the Gulf beyondThe water was a brilliant
blue-white plate; I had to squint against
omega watch orange the
gl