Muriel is telling Macon about a man she had dated before him. The man was a customer who was going through a really bad divorce and couldn't trust a woman. Bit by bit, she changed all that and eventually he had even paid all of Alexander's unpaid medical bills. The two had talked about getting married but one day he met a stewardess and eloped within the week. Muriel thought that she had cured him so he could elope with this other woman. Muriel then asks Macon if he would ever do that and he tells her that of course he wouldn't. When they are making the rounds of the thrift stores, she announces that she has quit her job at the Meow Bow. Macon cannot believe that she is so irresponsible.
CHAPTER 18
Macon is in a hotel room in Winnipeg when Sarah reaches him. Muriel tracked him down through his brothers who told her where he was. Macon's brothers also told her about the damage to their house, which is partly why she is calling. Muriel wants to move back in because her lease is up and she can't find another apartment. Muriel will use the money she would have spent on rent to make any repairs that the insurance wouldn't cover. Muriel also tells him that the legal papers are ready to be signed and that she had been shocked to actually see them. Muriel hadn't anticipated the emotional jolt they would give her.