She agreed. Her manner very stoic. That worried me a bit. I told her that I would be waiting in the "Pick up/Drop off" area in 15 minutes. She just qu...etly acknowledged it.She and Holly were old enough to sign themselves out. Amy, of course wasn't. I also knew that if I didn't call her, life would be hell when the dust settled.After she calmed down, I told her what I needed from her. She agreed. She didn't like having to wait until the end of school, but I pointed out that unlike Adrian and. “Hi there, I’m Adam.”The young girl sniffled and accepted my jacket. “Claire. Thank you so much for that! Where’d you learn to fight like that!?” The voice seemed familiar but I couldn’t quite place it. I shrugged modestly. “The army. Just came out of a tour in Iraq. Listen, why don’t you come up to my place and we can call a cab for you…Or do you live locally?” “No, I live in L.A. I’m here…Visiting family…” The young lady seemed to improvise on the spot, poorly too. Not thinking too much, I. The alcohol was disappearing rather quickly, as it was helping to warm up their bodies. ‘Once in a while. I like it because it’s quiet and the beer’s cheap.’ He laughed at that last comment, enjoying her pragmatic view of things. ‘How’s the food? I’m not actually hungry right now, but I could see myself coming back here another time.’ He appreciated the cozy atmosphere of the bar created by the subdued, albeit colourful, lighting. ‘Terrible, just like all food in bars. What did you expect?’. What would have happened, I wondered, if I had made different choices at various times during my life? If I hadn't climbed that tree when I was 9, falling and shattering my arm, what would have been different? If I'd buckled down and applied for scholarships in high school I would probably never have met my first wife — what would the rest of my life have been like then? Would I ever have met my second wife, who, while I was musing, was starting to help put dinner together, if I hadn't joined.