第38部分(第5/7 頁)

ish。　〃Oh；　I　wouldn't　mind　it；　no　offense　to　present

pany；　of　course。〃

〃Have　you　started　to　date　yet；　Anne？〃

She　took　a　breath　the　wrong　way　and　coughed。　〃Not。。　。　really。〃　She　and

Mitch　had　never　actually　〃dated。〃

Theodore　Boulton　was　sober。　〃We　think　you　should；　Anne。　You're　young　and

beautiful。　I　know　how　much　you　and　Jeff　loved　each　other；　but　he's　gone。

Dot　and　I　have　accepted　that；　too。　He　was　our　son。　Not　a　day　goes　by

when　we　don't　think　about　him。　But　it's　been　over　a　year　now；　and　life

has　to　go　on。　You're　only　twenty…eight。　You　should　be　enjoying　yourself

and　your　friends；　finding　someone　else　to　love；　having　babies。〃　His

cheeks　reddened。　〃e　the　day　you　do　have　a　baby；　I'll　think　of　it　as

my　own　grandchild。〃

Anne's　eyes　filled　with　tears。　Reaching　out；　she　hugged　him　soundly。

〃Thank　you。〃　He　had　lifted　a　burden　from　her　shoulders。　She　felt　better

knowing　that　when　she　told　them　about　Mitch；　they　would　support　her。　She

prayed　that　that　day　would　e　soon；　particularly　once　this　one　was

over。　The　midmorning　traffic　was　heavy。　Sitting　in　it　on　Manhattan's

residential　side　streets；　Anne　looked　around　for　a　distraction　from　the

uping　interview。　Her　eyes　fell　on　the　first　of　the　flowers　that　had

appeared　in　window　boxes；　then；　when　the　car　reached　the　wider　avenues；

on　trees　that　were　beginning　to　bud。　They　were　tall；　thin；　and　pale；

pared　to　her　memory　of　the　trees　in　Vermont。

Those　Vermont　trees；　being　farther　north　and　later　to　blossom；　would　be

barely　swelling　with　buds　now；　but　those　buds　held　promise　of　a　rich　and

fruitful　spring。

Soon；　Mitch　had　said。　Soon　they　would　talk　again。　Soon