“I mean it, Carol,” he said. XXX He had never loved her more. After they hung up, he felt a little drunk. Please be mean to me some more and keep me warm.”
He looked at his watch. The last words he spoke before drifting off were, “I meant what I said, God. “I’m so sorry, Charlie,” she whispered. But they did not come often. He taught his classes, graded his papers, had friends, and was functional. “Yes?” she looked at him innocently, wide-eyed. He told her as much as he could bear–not about the pain of losing her, but about how he needed her in his life, needed to feel a connection with her, needed to touch her heart. He lifted one bare foot and held it reverently.
