"Waving good-bye... "Okay mom I will be good." I run out to the bus thatstops right at our house. I get on the bus, and the driver looks at meshaking ...is head.I sit in the front with the other kids my size while the kids in myclass sit all the way to the back. I twist hair around my finger as wedrive to school. Little Alice comes and sits next to me. I smile at herwhile she stares at me playing with my hair so I put my hands in my lap."I thought for sure you would have your hair cut today. I mean, I trust you and all, but I still should check.” Well, her opinion was a surprise. One reason he’d waited until he had was to keep the embarrassing -- and terribly unromantic -- business out of her sight.“I didn’t think of that. I just thought it was my responsibility.” And it was his responsibility, as much as he’d blown the responsibility on their first picnic.“And, if anyone in the whole damn world is responsible, it’s Andy.” Well, that was -- usually -- one of his good points. Still,. She had also chosen a college some distance away for the same reason.I explained to Tessa that after my divorce I had found nobody and had almost given up when the chance encounter with Ann happened.Tessa remarked on how great it was to see her mother happy again and that it had been a long time coming.I cleared away the lunch dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Ann and Tessa said they were going back to their house but would be back. We could hear Dave crashing around and cursing.“He will be. “Now I wonder where she’s going to in such a rush?” Jonathan let curiosity get the better of him. He walked down the steps and strode across to the path leading into the small wood taking off his heavy tweed jacket to reveal his braces. On the other side were wheat fields. They would be almost ready for harvest now, the golden grain standing tall and full. Beyond them lay the river. He followed the path catching glimpses of the figure he had first spotted and then she disappeared from view..