here one day she would have half a dozen children clinging to her skirts, and a husband who drank too much beer and took her to the movies on Saturday nights, if she was lucky. The thought of it almost made him feel sick. He didn't want that to happen to her. She deserved so much more than that. She wasn't like the rest of them. She was a dove, trapped in a flock of peahens, and given the opportunity, they would devour and maybe even destroy her. She didn't deserve that. But he knew that there was nothing he could do to save her. She'll be a wonderful mother. He said it about Hiroko, but for an instant he wondered if he had meant it about Crystal.
Crystal only nodded and pushed the swing slowly with one foot. She was wearing the same white pumps she had worn to Becky's wedding the year before, but this time she had kept them on, with another precious pair of nylons.
Maybe you'll come to New York one day. He said it to offer himself hope, but they both knew it was less than likely.
My father went there once. He told me all about it.
Spencer smiled. His life was so far removed from hers. It made his heart ache again to know that. I think you'd like it. He would have liked to have had the chance to show her ' maybe if she had been older '
I'd rather go to Hollywood. She looked up at the sky dreamily and for a moment she was a child again as he watched her. A child dreaming of Hollywood, and being a movie star. It was as wild a dream as his dream of loving her, although he didn't say that.
And who would you like to meet in Hollywood? He wanted to know who her favorite movie stars were, what she talked about, whom she dreamed of. He wanted to know all of her, perhaps in the hope of growing disenchanted. He had to forget this girl, once and for all, before he left California. She had haunted him all year, more than once he had thought of driving up to see Boyd, but when he had, he knew it was only because he wanted to see Crystal. And afraid of the fine madness she seemed to induce in him, he had purposely not come, until now ' this last time before he left. But it was already too late. He knew now that he would never forget her.
She was thinking about his question about who she'd like to meet in Hollywood, and finally with a smile as she drifted on the swing, she answered, Clark Gable. And maybe Gary Cooper.
Sounds reasonable. And then what would you want to do in Hollywood?
She laughed, playing with her own dreams, and him a little bit. I'd like to be in a movie. Or maybe sing. He had never heard the voice that had haunted the people in the valley, even those who didn't like her.
Maybe you will one day. They both laughed at that. Movies were for movie stars, not for real people. And life couldn't have been more real for her, no matter how beautiful she was. She knew her life would never include being in movies. You're pretty enough to be. You're beautiful. His voice was gentle, as the swing slowly stopped moving again and she looked at him. There was something startling about the way he had said it. The force of his words surprised both of them into silence, and then she only shook her head with a sad smile. She was already mourning the thought of his leaving.
Hiroko is beautiful, I'm not.
Yes, she is, he agreed, but so are you. His voice was so soft she could barely hear it.
And then suddenly, feeling brave, she asked him the question she'd wondered since she first saw him that morning.
Why did you come today? To see Boyd ' Hiroko ' Tom ' Becky's baby ' there were half a dozen plausible answers and only one that had brought him here. And as he looked into her eyes he knew he had to tell her. And she had to know it.
I wanted to see you before I left. He spoke softly and she nodded. It was what she had wanted to hear, but now the words frightened her a little. This very handsome man, from another world, had actually come to see her. And she didn't quite understand what he wanted of her. Nor did Spencer himself, which
Crystal only nodded and pushed the swing slowly with one foot. She was wearing the same white pumps she had worn to Becky's wedding the year before, but this time she had kept them on, with another precious pair of nylons.
Maybe you'll come to New York one day. He said it to offer himself hope, but they both knew it was less than likely.
My father went there once. He told me all about it.
Spencer smiled. His life was so far removed from hers. It made his heart ache again to know that. I think you'd like it. He would have liked to have had the chance to show her ' maybe if she had been older '
I'd rather go to Hollywood. She looked up at the sky dreamily and for a moment she was a child again as he watched her. A child dreaming of Hollywood, and being a movie star. It was as wild a dream as his dream of loving her, although he didn't say that.
And who would you like to meet in Hollywood? He wanted to know who her favorite movie stars were, what she talked about, whom she dreamed of. He wanted to know all of her, perhaps in the hope of growing disenchanted. He had to forget this girl, once and for all, before he left California. She had haunted him all year, more than once he had thought of driving up to see Boyd, but when he had, he knew it was only because he wanted to see Crystal. And afraid of the fine madness she seemed to induce in him, he had purposely not come, until now ' this last time before he left. But it was already too late. He knew now that he would never forget her.
She was thinking about his question about who she'd like to meet in Hollywood, and finally with a smile as she drifted on the swing, she answered, Clark Gable. And maybe Gary Cooper.
Sounds reasonable. And then what would you want to do in Hollywood?
She laughed, playing with her own dreams, and him a little bit. I'd like to be in a movie. Or maybe sing. He had never heard the voice that had haunted the people in the valley, even those who didn't like her.
Maybe you will one day. They both laughed at that. Movies were for movie stars, not for real people. And life couldn't have been more real for her, no matter how beautiful she was. She knew her life would never include being in movies. You're pretty enough to be. You're beautiful. His voice was gentle, as the swing slowly stopped moving again and she looked at him. There was something startling about the way he had said it. The force of his words surprised both of them into silence, and then she only shook her head with a sad smile. She was already mourning the thought of his leaving.
Hiroko is beautiful, I'm not.
Yes, she is, he agreed, but so are you. His voice was so soft she could barely hear it.
And then suddenly, feeling brave, she asked him the question she'd wondered since she first saw him that morning.
Why did you come today? To see Boyd ' Hiroko ' Tom ' Becky's baby ' there were half a dozen plausible answers and only one that had brought him here. And as he looked into her eyes he knew he had to tell her. And she had to know it.
I wanted to see you before I left. He spoke softly and she nodded. It was what she had wanted to hear, but now the words frightened her a little. This very handsome man, from another world, had actually come to see her. And she didn't quite understand what he wanted of her. Nor did Spencer himself, which
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