“I thought he was past that!”

“You did? Weren’t you at your own wedding when Matt was drunk as a skunk? When I shoved him and nearly knocked him out?” Ginger asked with a lift of one brow.

“So,” Peyton said, dipping her spoon into her sundae. “What’s wrong with him now?”

“I suspect a long list, all having to do with our ex-spouses. He blew a gasket when I suggested he talk to Natalie and see if he can lay some ghosts to rest before we try to start a new life together.”

“You suggested that?” Peyton asked.

She nodded. “I understand being crazy mad at your ex,” Ginger said. “Mick has the ability to make me want to choke him! I called him an asshole and hung up on him the last time we talked, and that wasn’t very long ago! I can’t recall that anger lasting and I never turned it on Matt. I think he has stuff to deal with. I wish he’d do so.” She sighed and said, “Instead, he told me to stop reading self-help books because we’re fine. Peyton, I love him very much, but we’re not fine. I’m not going to marry a man who lays down laws for me. Whereas my ex didn’t care what I did as long as he had no responsibility, Matt has decided what I can and can’t do. That’s not going to work. He has to make peace with that failed marriage before he has another one.”

“This could be a challenge,” Peyton said. She took another spoonful of ice cream. “He is a man. Not exactly the best at introspection, men.”

“Peyton, I know you and Matt have a very loyal and loving relationship, but please let me deal with this without confronting him,” Ginger said. “Yet, I have to ask, if you have any advice for me based on the fact that you know him better than almost anyone, I’ll take it. Happily. I want it to work. But I’m not going to make another mistake by refusing to see the real man.”

“I have some advice,” she said immediately. “Stand your ground.” She took another spoonful of ice cream. “Don’t let him bully you. Don’t take any shit.”

“I won’t.”

“What are you going to do about your ex?” Peyton asked.

“Oh, I’m going to call him. I’m going to find out what he wants. I might hang up on him again. I might even call him a very bad name first. But the best way for me to be free of him, of the mistakes we made, is to be honest with him and with myself. If he doesn’t hear me, not my problem.”

“How long are you going to let this go on?” Peyton asked. “Because I let my ex suck me back in over and over. The new guy didn’t stand a chance because I was still trying to figure out how to make an old relationship right.”

“Nah,” Ginger said. “When I call him it will only be the second time we’ve talked since the divorce almost two years ago. It’ll probably be the last—I don’t expect Mick to have changed in any way.”

“How’d you let go so easily?” Peyton asked.

“Easily?” Ginger repeated. “Peyton, I stayed with a man who completely neglected me for three years longer than I should have. I left pregnant and alone, dependent on my parents at the age of twenty-eight. My baby died and had no father to grieve for him. There was hardly one more thing life could throw at me to convince me. It definitely wasn’t quick.”

“It wasn’t for me, either,” Peyton said.

“I had to acknowledge that I let Mick take advantage of me. That might’ve been the hardest part.”

“Again, me, too,” Peyton said.

“I’m not doing that again,” she said. “I’ll wait for Matt because I do love him. I don’t love some ridiculous fantasy man like Mick. I love Matt, the real man. But I’m not going to always play by his rules. If he wants a new life with a new wife, he’s going to have to assure me he’s completely done with the old one.”

Peyton took a last spoonful of her ice cream. “Have I mentioned Matt is incredibly stubborn?”

“And have I mentioned, so am I?”

* * *

Lin Su served lunch on the deck to Winnie and Charlie. Winnie had some small, bite-size sandwiches—easy for her to manage if she had coordination or trembling issues. For Charlie, a nice big one with chips. For both of them—fruit. On cool days Winnie liked soup, but that could be chaotic and if she spilled, it turned her mood foul. Of course she’d have no part of a bib or even a linen napkin tucked into her collar.

One of the most interesting developments was Winnie’s fascination with Charlie. They had formed an unusual friendship. They had lunch together almost every day and sometimes Charlie showed her TED Talks on his laptop, after which they would have a discussion. Not surprisingly, Winnie had become interested in some of the more spiritual and inspirational videos. She had watched the video of Jimmy Valvano’s last speech at the ESPY Awards several times until Charlie said, “You might have to start watching this in private from now on. It’s too sad.”

“You seem to be doing fine,” she said. “It’s inspiring.”

“Maybe if you’re dying.”

“Charlie!” Lin Su admonished.

“What?” Winnie said. “He’s right. It’s more meaningful to me for obvious reasons.” She looked at Charlie. “I haven’t noticed you crying or anything...”

“Of course I’m not crying,” he said. “It makes my throat hurt though. How about this TED Talk on the power of vulnerability? Sounds like the kind of thing you’d like.”

“But what would you like?”

“There’s one on the most important key to success—grit. And there’s one I like about a woman who survived a brain hemorrhage and had to rebuild her life, learning to talk and walk all over again.”

“When did you get so smart?” she asked him.

“When I couldn’t go outside. Or to school.”

“And when was that?”

“Before allergy shots, mostly. I was allergic to everything—grass, pollen, dust, animals, everything. Someone gave me a little computer and showed me how to look things up.”

“No Facebook,” Lin Su said. “The computer is for reading, learning, exploring, not for making jokes or picking on people.”

“I don’t think making jokes should be excluded,” Winnie said. “I don’t know this Facebook thing everyone talks about.”