and put it down again. too green . she said, What are you doing for dinner tomorrow night? come and eat at my house. um. come on , we'll have fun. just you and me and Alexander, he needs to meet more men, it's good for him. um,I don't know if i'm free tomorrow . thonk it over. six o'clock .sixteen Singleton street. They went outside . Edward was still there. but standing up and growling at a dog across the street . Murieal sighed. They tried seceral more shops, with varying success, then Murieal parked in front of building in Cold Spring Lane. One more test, 'she said i've got to pick up Alexander at the doctor 's here. it won't take long. You come in with me. They left Edward lying down outside and went in. how old did you say Alexander was? Macon asked. He's seven, 'Murieal said. seven. seven was when Ethan had learned to ride a bicycle.Alexander was a small, white,sickly boy with short thin hair and light blue eyes behind large watery glasses. Macon shook hands with him. He felt there was nothing on earth he could talk about with this child. Murieal drove Macon back to his house and as they pulled up outside she said, i'll see you tomorrow for dinner then.' Macon didn't know how to tell her, but he knew he couldn't go to that dinner. He missed his wife. he missed his son.They were the inly people who seemed real to him . there was no point looking for anyone to take their places.