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envied the calm silence displayed upon his smooth, brown face. His sharp mustache reflected an old world air of distinction. She had imagined them walking the streets of Calais and Paris, and roaming the museums of Rome and Florence. They would disappear into a new life, Anna leaving behind the pain of hers, and letting Inman love her. She had relinquished all hope of ever doing these things with Edward.
    “What are you going to do about our plans?” Inman broke the silence.
    Anna peered back into the kitchen, redolent with foaming memories that she wished to reach out and touch or transform. “I want to go to France. I want to leave all this behind and forget that it ever happened.”
    “But, you need to be clear about your life with Edward, your marriage, and what it never achieved.”
    Inman had raised Dancia, his daughter and only child after his wife abandoned them. Two years later, his wife was killed in an auto accident equal to the magnitude of the one he had recently suffered and survived. Inman had experienced the nagging doubt that slithered into one’s life when destiny darted onto uncharted paths.
    “I grew angry when I found out that Marian had been killed. I was angrier then than I was when she’d served me with divorce papers stating she didn’t want Dancia. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. It couldn’t. I rationalized,” Inman explained. “I’m a Wharton MBA with a great job and bright future. How could she leave me? She’s not leaving me. She’s a fool who doesn’t know what she’s got.” Inman gave a bittersweet smile. “I used all the excuses I could find and concocted the ones I couldn’t.” He leaned back and glanced down at his cane.
    “It wasn’t until I had the car accident last year, two decades after Marian was killed, that I realized what had been there all along.”
    Anna bit her lip. Inman lifted his cane, stood, and then leaned over and kissed her. She wanted to pull him back, rip off his clothes and make love to him right there on the patio.
    “Call me when you’ve done what you need to,” Inman said. “Let me know when you’ve it figured out.”
    He went back inside the house, his limp barely noticeable, and saw himself out the front door.?
     
    Chapter 6
    Anna was in Edward’s hospital room. The shades were drawn and the darkness of night had descended.
    “Edward,” Anna called his name. “I want us to move back in the house. Let me care for you.”
    Edward appeared about to cry. “Thank you.” His lips trembled. Unable to witness his brokenness, Anna stood and said, “I’ll let Dr. Grimes know—unless you want to tell him.”
    He shook his head no.
    Later with Dr. Grimes, Anna explained. “He’s agreed to let me take care of him. He seems relieved with the decision.”
    “I’ll inform the social worker,” Grimes said as he laid his hand upon Anna’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for earlier. Dying takes a lot of energy and focus.”
    “I thought it was life that was hard.” Anna blinked to fight back tears.
    “It’s hard to live knowing that the time is drawing near when you will no longer see your friends and family. Most patients don’t want to know. Neither do their families.”
    “Would you want to know?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    Anna frowned at Grime’s words.
    “I guess it depends on where you are in your life and how much you can handle,” he said. “Then there’s the nature of your relation ships, most specifically the one with yourself. As for myself, I try to live each day knowing death is near, and that I have time.” A crinkled smile formed upon his lips. “Some days I succeed. Others, well...” Again, he patted Anna’s shoulder. “Edward’s strong. And so are you. Call if you need anything.”
    Edward remained in the hospital from Wednesday night through the weekend. Anna split her time between visiting him and preparing the house for his return. Movers from the rental company arrived early Saturday morning and emptied