I’ve never had it that way, and I think that’s why I’m still here and they aren’t.”“Yes, but you said you and your husband are squabbling....He wants to sell the farm and you don’t.”“Right, and there’s no way I’ll sell this farm and leave it. I’m determined to do what I have to do to stay here. I’ll never leave. Never!”During our delicious dinner, we continued talking, learning about each other, sharing stories, listening, nodding, asking questions. She told me again how she grew up on the farm. Soon a sales woman would approach me, probablywith a smirk on her face.The stoppage of time was over. Real time took hold of me. I was anunwelcome, ungainly sight to behold in a sea of freshly coiffed andprecisely painted matrons and their female offspring. Heads around thearea popped up from their quest for the perfect foundation, to see me, ablatant MALE sissy, trespassing on woman's turf. Older customers stucktheir nose up or snickered behind their painted nails. Younger customerslaughed out. The fire trucks arrived and were just in time to see the little house collapse. They doused what remained of the flames. ‘He was magnificent!’ the woman declared. ‘Who was magnificent?’ asked the fireman. ‘A man was walking by and he ran inside and saved my baby, then he left,’ she replied. ‘Who was he?’ the fireman asked. ‘All he said was ‘Mort’. He is my hero. I’ll never forget him.’ The media did their usual search for the mysterious Mort but had no luck in finding him. It was about average. .. ora woman in my situation. I took care of Carly and let her live her lifeto the fullest. She even asked me to go out with her on double datesthat she would set up, and although I was more than happy to just avoidsex for the rest of my life, I went along with her because I knew itwould make her happy. There were times that I regret not honoring Carl?schoice to die, but seeing Carly be happy was enough to ease some of myguilt. I could only hope that Carl would be happy with the life that.