When the song is over, Tara begins the applause. When the applause is over, J bows in the couple’s direction, then returns to his seat and takes V’s hand. He has no idea if she’s letting him do this to keep up the façade or whether she is enjoying having her hand held.
After the wedding ceremony concludes, Tara and Hugh are whisked away to some secret location to prepare for the reception.
J is sorry to stand, because that means letting go of V again. He is hoping, now that they can speak, that she’ll say something about what she heard in the song. When he sang the line about wanting time to stand still, did it mean anything to her?
The truth is, V did notice that line. And she thought to herself that, as lovely as it is, she’s spent too much time standing still. She wants to get to the next part. Not with J, but with her own life. J didn’t mean to, but he’s managed to articulate to V something that was wrong with them. She knows how happy it made him to hit Pause. And she agrees with him in the fear of Fast Forward.
But right now? It’s not Pause she wants.
She wants Play.
J finds Maria, introduces her to V, then says they’re going to go.
Once again, Maria says, “I think that’s for the best.”
J and V find a pier on the Hudson and walk as far out as they can go. It feels as if only a few more steps would take them into Manhattan; the skyline feels that close.
“Thank you again,” J says. “I saw Hugh taking note of your presence. You probably saved their marriage.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” V asks.
“None of our business.”
“Agreed.”
They look out at the water, the lights. There is so much they aren’t saying.
“That song makes me melancholy,” V says, because she knows J will want her to saysomethingabout the song. “The older I get, the harder it hits me. We all want to think evolution ends with us, but the world has other ideas, doesn’t it?”
“You’re hardly obsolete.”
“I mentionedGroundhog Dayto Thor and Meta the other day and they had no idea what I was talking about.”
“How is that possible?”
“It’ll happen to them, too, someday. Some assistant will ask them, ‘What wasSurvivor?’”
“‘To everything, turn turn turn.’”
“Exactly.”
Somewhere above them, the wedding band strikes up some entrance music for the bride and groom.
J watches V and the way the night breeze makes her hair move. She is staring into the distance...but then she turns to him and asks, “What?”
Instinct kicks in, and he says, “Nothing.”
“It’s something. What?”
“I keep think about what you said, and about where we are. I can’t help wondering...if you don’t want to go backwards to find me where we were, why can’t I go forwards with you? Why can’t I be your future, too?”
V looks at him sadly. “I wish I had an answer for you. For me, too. But it’s not going to appear right now. You called me, and I showed up for you. That’s the best I can do, and even that...I can’t do it that often.”
J feels suddenly defensive, says, “I don’t plan on asking you to do it too often. I’m sorry I got myself in that situation.”
“Don’t get angry.”
“I’m not angry. I’m frustrated.”
