Telling her, she laughed and said her team was better and they were playing eachother locally and my team would get a thrashing.Next day she asked me ...f I would go and watch the game with her as she could get tickets so I agreed and she said she would meet me at my train station and we could get the bus from there.On Saturday I arrived at the station at 1pm and she was there waiting all dressed up in her teams colours and I laughed as she looked like a little girl going to the football with her. Peoplewould come just to see it and talk about it. It had even been on displayat the baseball hall of fame for a while and was often the center oflocal exhibits it was that good!?Please?Ms.?Karen?Please?. you promised me?please not that, anything butthat?please.?Karen noting Cindy?s desperation saw a chance to play.?Cindy, are you telling me your collection is worth more than myhappiness???No oh no Ma?am, it?s just that it?s one of a kind???Oh and I am not? I think Ms. Lia is right it would be. And, really, is there a bigger buzzkill than that?Quietly, he pulled himself out of the bed and dressed. I watched him, silent and somber, slowly walk out the room, closing the door. In the aftermath, I was too satisfied, too surprised to understand that this was a one-time thing. Yes, we were best friends but, no, we could never be anything more, not the way things were for us. At the time, I was too invested in my work, I loved my job, I loved the military but I also loved other men and those. I knew my mom was trying to make him happy but Robert was just not "up for it".Time flies and in a few years life became a routine. I was now11, going to a local school, learning piano and painting.Robert, now 65 looked much older and needed much more care than before. His movements had become slower and he had just a few strands of hair left on the back of his head.My mother on the other hand had started working again. She was approaching 50 and had the body that despite its matronly.