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“And?”
“You don’t look a day over thirty.”
She punched him lightly in the arm. “For that, I’m going to make
you buy me a croissant, too.”
“Fair enough. And since you’re in the mood for full disclosure, I’d
like to hear the story of how you finally got away.”
She hesitated only briefly. “Okay,” she said.
At a small table outside, Katie related the account of her escape—
the forwarded phone calls, the trip to Philadelphia, the everchanging
jobs and miserable flophouses, the eventual trip to
Southport. Unlike the first time, now she was able to describe her
experiences calmly, as though talking about someone else. When
she finished, he shook his head.
“What?”
“I was just trying to imagine how you must have felt after hanging
up on that final call from Kevin. When he still thought you were at
home. I’ll bet you were relieved.”
“I was. But I was also terrified. And at that point, I still didn’t
have a job and didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“But you made it.”
“Yes,” she said. “I did.” Her gaze was focused on some distant
point. “It’s not the kind of life I ever imagined for myself.”
Alex’s tone was gentle. “I’m not sure anyone’s life turns out
exactly the way they imagine. All we can do is to try to make the
best of it. Even when it seems impossible.”
She knew he was talking as much about himself as he was about
her, and for a long moment neither of them said anything.