“Her favorite song. You’ve been together three years. What is it?”
“That’s not relevant.”
“What does she order when she can choose the restaurant herself?”
“Griffin—”
“What was her favorite solo? What did she perform?”
Silence.
It’s the silence of someone who doesn’t have the answer. He knows it and is deciding what to do about that.
“She’s a musician,” I say. “That’s her whole thing. You were with her for three years. What was the piece?”
“Schubert something,” he says, and thesomethingdoes all the work.
“Brahms,” I say. “Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major. She’s told the story of that performance at family dinners too many times to count. It was the first time she performed in front of a crowd that size without getting sick first.”
Nothing from the other end.
“But sure,” I say. “Tell me about how you know her.”
“You know what.” His tone shifts. It’s sharper now. The pleasantness is gone. “You’ve got a hero complex and a very convenient opportunity. I get it. We all see what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?”
“You’re playing the good guy.” He laughs, but it’s humorless. “She’s vulnerable, she’s emotional, and you’re right there. I know exactly what this is.”
“Then you’re not worried.”
“I’m not. She’ll be home in two days.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, definitely,” he says with full confidence. “She doesn’t make it on her own. Never has. She needs someone telling her where to be and when, or she falls apart. She’s not exactly self-sufficient. That’s just the truth.”
I’m standing completely still.
In all of this, not one thing, not a single thing he’s said about her has been said with love or a shred of fucking kindness.
“You know what’s interesting,” I say. “You’ve been talking about her for five minutes, and you haven’t said one good thing.”
“Because she just tanked our wedding.”
“Before today,” I continue. “What’s good about her. Right now. One thing.”
The silence is longer this time.
“She’s beautiful,” he finally offers, and it sounds like something he found in a drawer.
Anyone with eyes could give me that answer.
“Okay.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing. I’ve got what I need.”
