Coming home he crashed into a guardrail. Died at once.’
‘Oh,my God.’ Macon rested his head in his hand.
‘I have to go now and sit with his mother,’ Muriel said.
‘Is there something I can do? Stay with Alexander, maybe?
‘Alexander’s got people of our own to stay our own to stay with him,’ she said
The doorbell rang, and Edward started barking.
‘Well, I’ll say goodbye now,’ Muriel said.’ Sounds like you have company. I’ll let you get back to your life.’ She hung up.
It was the men delivering the new couch. Macon showed them where to put it, and after they had gone, he sat down on it, still wrapped in its plastic covering. He rubbed his hands on his knees. Edward barked in the kitchen Macon went on sitting.
When Ethan died, Macon had to go and look at the body.
Sarah had waited outside. But later, and in the weeks what
He had felt, if in fact it had been Ethan at all lying there.
Remembering those conversation now, he began to believe that people could in fact be used up - could use each other up, could be of no further help to each other and maybe even do harm to each other. Maybe, he thought, who you are when you’re with somebody matters more than whether you love her.
God knows how long he sat there.
Edward had been barking in the kitchen all this time, but now he began to bark even more loudly. Somebody must have knocked. Macon rose and went to the front door, where he found Julian. ’Oh. It’s you,’ Macon said.
‘Thought I’d bring you the information for Paris,’ Julian said.
Macon led the way to the living room. ’Just a few details to get right on the Canada guide,’ he said,’ and then…’
Julian didn’t seem to be listening. He sat down on the plastic-covered couch, and put his paper on the floor.