“You stayed.”
“I froze.”
“You complained for four hours.”
“I was wearing shorts.”
“I gave you my jacket.”
“You gave me one sleeve of your jacket because you were still wearing the other half.”
He smiled.
“Efficient.”
We sat there smiling like two teenagers hiding beneath bleachers.
Then Douglas whispered, “I bought the ring the next morning.”
I looked at the gold band in my palm.
“This one?”
“That one.”
“Why didn’t you give it to me?”
“Cowardice.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“At least you’re consistent there too.”
He laughed.
It turned into a cough.
Lucas immediately came over, but Douglas waved him off.
When the coughing passed, I noticed how tired he had become.
“Enough for tonight,” I said.
“No.”
“Douglas.”
“One more thing.”
He looked at Lucas.
His son understood.
From the suitcase, Lucas removed a small cassette tape.
I stared at it.
“A cassette?”
“Your mother’s.”
