; ; "Thanks." Dim lights flicked ; on. Carl Perry made his way ; forward and stepped out, into the ; blackness of a rainy night. In a ; moment, he was standing in front of ; a general store, his sea bag beside ; him. The bus whined and rattled ; and groaned and left Carl very much ; alone. Except for a lighted ; Greyhound sign, the store, the ; whole hamlet, was dark. There was ; a sort of porch by the door; Carl ; moved under it with a shrug and a ; sigh. It had been a long haul from ; San Diego. His whites were rumpled ; and damp, but he wasn't cold. The ; weather was warm for so late in the ; year. He didn't bother to put on ; his coat.
; ; Restlessly, Carl looked down ; the road, hoping to see the lights ; of Harvey's car. He hoped Harvey ; had got the telegram and that he ; would pick him up. Carl had ; written his parents, telling them ; that Harvey would meet him at the ; bus stop. Otherwise Pa would have ; come, and Pa's eyes weren't up to ; driving at night. Carl waited, ; standing in the glow of the sign, ; staring out into the blackness. He ; wondered if Harvey might not come. ; They had known each other during ; high school, but they had not been ; friends. Harvey had been athletic, ; popular, the class president, ; dating cheer leaders, smart, but ; not studious. Carl had been too ; short, underweight, one of those ; invisible kids who sits in the back ; and never gets chosen for anything, ; the kind only desperate girls date. ; Harvey and Carl had only declared ; themselves to be buddies when they ; found themselves in boot camp ; together. Carl was always there ; when Harvey needed something, like ; a loan. Carl wished Harvey would ; be there just once, when Carl ; needed a ride.
; ; Time dragged. He looked at ; his watch, which had an aluminum ; band made from a crashed Betty ; bomber. While Harvey enjoyed ; himself in Australia, Carl had been ; a lot closer to the war. The Navy ; had discovered that Carl was clever ; with electronics, and he had flown ; as crew on the secret nocturnal ; Black Cats, special Catalina flying ; boats painted gloss black and set ; up for ferret missions. They would ; sneak as close as they dared to ; Japanese bases, and Carl would ; listen for the telltale electronic ; emissions which would betray the ; existence of a hidden radar or ; command post.
; ; He remembered the night he had ; picked up signals from six Jap ; destroyers and worked his direction ; finder so effectively that, come ; dawn, Hellcats and Avengers knew ; right where to look. They sank ; one, damaged the others. What ; would civilian life be like, after ; all that? First thing, find a girl. ; Harvey had been discharged first ; and had been home for more than a ; month. As one of the first ; servicemen home, he must have had ; the pick of the girls. Carl knew ; it would be tougher for him. Girls ; had never taken Carl very ; seriously. His senior year, he had ; dated Norma Jean Wilkinson. They ; had written to each other for a ; while, but she had lost interest ; when she and her family moved to ; Kansas.
; ; Carl looked up and saw some ; headlights, quite near, which ; hadn't been there a moment ago. ; They approached and slowed. A ; black '36 Ford did a U-turn and ; pulled off the road, crunching on ; the gravel. As the engine slowed, ; the vacuum windshield wipers ; accelerated, slip-slop, slip-slop. ; In a second, Carl was at the door, ; pulling it open and tossing his ; coat and sea bag behind the seat. ; Then he froze and stared. It ; wasn't Harvey.
; ; "Hi, there," said a husky ; feminine voice. "You are Petty ; Officer Carl Perry, aren't you?"
; ; "Yes, Ma'am, but I was ; expecting my buddy, Harvey."
; ; "He couldn't make it. He sent ; me."
; ; "Oh."
; ; "Go ahead, get in."
; ; Carl slid into the passenger ; side of the seat and pulled the ; door closed: clunk. There wasn't ; much light, but he could see that ; the driver was a stunningly ; beautiful woman. She wore an ; ordinary cotton dress, the kind ; found in a Sears-Roebuck catalog, ; but the way she wore it! It fit a ; lot better than it would on most. ; "Do I know you?" he said ; hesitantly. ; "No, but you should. You will. ; You can call me Tiffany."
; ; "I've never met a girl named ; Tiffany. I heard of a jewelry ; story named Tiffany's. Are you ; related to the jewelry store?"
; ; "No." She laughed, as she let ; out the clutch and started toward ; home. The wipers slowed and sped ; up as she shifted, not very ; expertly: first, second, high gear. ; Once in high gear, she let her hand ; drop from the tall gear shift ; lever, and her hand landed on ; Carl's knee. He moved his leg, and ; Tiffany used the hand to brush her ; long blonde hair away from her ; face. He studied her face, what he ; could see in the dim light of the ; dash lights. She had fairly ; straight brows, natural, not ; plucked, and a narrow straight ; nose, and a little cleft in her ; chin. Her lips were very glossy, ; and he guessed she must be wearing ; some sort of eye make-up. "You've ; been a while in the Navy," she ; said, "stationed in Australia, ; working in a warehouse." Her voice ; had a strange accent he couldn't ; place. She certainly wasn't a ; local girl.
; ; "Where'd you hear that?"
; ; "Must be Harvey mentioned it."
; ; "No, Harvey wouldn't tell you ; that, because Harvey knows the ; truth. I just wrote that to my ; parents, so they wouldn't worry. ; Actually, I was crew on a flying ; boat."
; ; "Oh, well, I must have heard ; it from your mother. She saves all ; your letters. You write very good ; letters. I'll bet that, some day, ; historians will come across all ; those letters your mother saved and ; will find them very useful."
; ; "You know my folks?"
; ; "No, not really. ; I...uh...heard your mother saved ; all your letters. You know, shows ; them to her friends."
; ; "You're a friend of Harvey's, ; then?"
; ; "Well, not really. But when ; he couldn't come to meet you... You ; know. I mean, it wouldn't do to ; have you come all this way and not ; have anyone meet you."
; ; "Well, thanks for coming." ; Carl didn't know what else to say, ; so he kept quiet. The rain ; stopped, and the clouds began to ; break up. Ahead, to the east, the ; sky brightened, and he could see ; then that her eyes were blue. He ; liked the look of her, wished he ; could get to know her, but he ; didn't know how to say what was on ; his mind. He had never been very ; clever around girls. He and Norma ; Jean had found each other, even ; necked a bit, but he couldn't ; imagine what to say or do with ; Tiffany. Carl was the only sailor ; he knew who was, or would admit to ; being, a virgin. Women, white ; women, were scarce in the war zone. ; Yes, Carl thought, he had a lot to ; make up for. He wondered if ; Tiffany was spoken for. As if ; reading his mind, Tiffany reached ; out, very deliberately, and placed ; her hand on his thigh, lightly ; stroking the inside. He guessed ; she wasn't spoken for. "You are ; very beautiful," he said, not ; knowing how to be subtle.
; ; "Thank-you," she replied ; huskily. "Of course, it could be ; plastic surgery. But, actually, I ; was very fortunate in the hand I ; was dealt in the genetic shuffle."
; ; "What do you mean?"
; ; "You know. You grew up on a ; farm. It's a matter of selective ; breeding."
; ; "Yes, but I never gave it much ; thought when it came to humans."
; ; "More people should. There ; are an awful lot of genetic ; diseases; a lot of children are ; born defective or carry defective ; genes. In ancient times, defective ; children would be killed or ; abandoned. Of course, that's ; illegal now. More and more, ; medical science will keep those ; children alive, cover up the ; effects of hemophilia, Huntington's ; chorea, PKU, all sorts of mental ; and metabolic and character ; weaknesses...contact lenses for bad ; eyes, reconstructive surgery, ; psychoactive drugs, hormone ; therapy... Those genetically ; defective children will grow up and ; reproduce. Their genes are ; everywhere. You can't be too ; careful about a choice of mate. ; What's a person to do? You meet a ; man; you can't tell by looking."
; ; "I never thought about it ; much. I don't know about genetics. ; I guess there's something in what ; you say. I mean, if you want a ; winning colt, you want to breed ; your fastest mare with the fastest ; stallion. Like that?"
; ; "Exactly! It would be a ; crime, wouldn't it, to serve your ; best cow with just any old bull." ; She slid her hand along his thigh, ; making him press back against the ; back of the seat. "You think I'm ; attractive?"
; ; "Yes, of course."
; ; "I find you attractive, too." ; She took his hand and pressed it ; against her dress. He was ; surprised that she wore no bra. ; Surely the war-time shortages ; weren't that bad. No decent woman ; he knew would go out without a bra. ; What kind of woman was she?
; ; Carl snatched his hand away as ; soon as she relaxed her grip. ; "Tiffany! We just met. We don't ; even know each other." He wondered ; how she could find him attractive. ; No other woman had. This was ; strange. He needed to think. She ; was like one of those spies in the ; training films on security. What ; did she want from him? Loose lips ; sink ships. No, the war was over. ; She couldn't be. He made a point of ; looking out the window, not at ; Tiffany. He noticed there was no ; ration sticker on the windshield. ; Gas rationing was over, but most ; cars still had them. He looked out ; at the fields, muddy. He had come ; home too late for the harvest. But ; he couldn't keep his eyes off ; Tiffany for long. "Where are you ; from, Tiffany?"
; ; "Long way away."
; ; "Where, exactly?"
; ; "Ever been to Arizona?"
; ; "No." ; "I'm from Arizona. I'm ; really attracted to you, Carl," she ; said, with a resonant voice which ; seemed out of place in such a slim ; woman. Now that Carl could see her ; better, he thought she might be ; older than he, twenty-five, maybe ; even thirty. Still, she was in ; fine shape. "We should get to know ; each other better," she added.
; ; "Yeah, OK. Where are you ; staying, Tiffany? Maybe we could ; see each other again soon."
; ; "Oh, Carl, I can't stay. We ; have to know each other very soon, ; today."
; ; Carl couldn't imagine how to ; reply. He didn't say anything, ; until he had to. "There's the ; turn-off up there. Turn right." ; They turned onto the gravel county ; road. The rising sun cast a long ; shadow of the car on the fence ; posts and fields. It would be a ; beautiful day, and he was almost ; home. "You know the way? Our ; farm's about four miles ahead."
; ; "I know the way. I checked ; everything out first, on the old ; maps."
; ; "Why old maps?"
; ; "A slip of the tongue. Tell ; me about yourself, Carl. Are you ; and Patty engaged?"
; ; "Patty?"
; ; "Patty Simmons. Aren't you ; planning to marry her soon?"
; ; "Patty Simmons? She's ; Harvey's girl, I guess." Carl had ; always liked Patty, ever since ; grade school. He had admired her, ; from afar. She was pretty, an A ; student, very popular, captain of ; the cheer leaders. Harvey and ; Patty had been king and queen of ; the prom. She had never had time ; for Carl. He had danced with her ; once, at a USO dance, when he was ; on leave before he shipped out. ; She sure had been nice to dance ; with. He had asked her out, but ; she said that USO girls aren't ; allowed to date men they met at the ; dances. He tried to argue that ; they had met in grade school, but ; she danced away with a soldier, a ; six-footer who scowled at Carl. ; Carl didn't want to provoke a ; fight. Not that Carl lacked ; courage. Ensign Broglie, the ; pilot, had put a letter of ; commendation in Carl's file for the ; cold-blooded way Carl had shot up a ; Nip night fighter with his .50 ; caliber waist gun. Carl vividly ; remembered the engagement, the ; flashes of the Jap's guns and the ; flame and roar of Carl's own. The ; Nip had disappeared into the night, ; and Carl couldn't claim a kill ; because they didn't see it crash. ; Funny that he should think of that ; when he really wanted to think ; about the beautiful Tiffany who sat ; beside him.
; ; Her hand was on his thigh ; again, and moving up. He couldn't ; help reacting, responding, though ; he felt suddenly thirsty and ; uncomfortable. "I have a feeling, ; Carl," she said coyly as she moved ; her hand to his crotch, "that you ; would like to make love with me."
; ; "Tiffany, you are very nice ; and all that, but, really, I ; couldn't. It wouldn't be right."
; ; "Yes, it would," she said, and ; she whipped the car into a sharp ; left turn, not even down-shifting, ; throwing up a spray of damp gravel. ; They sped down a lane which Carl ; recognized as the road to the ; County Highway Department garage. ; At dawn, on Sunday, there would be ; no one there. He had nearly $300 ; in his wallet and $500, carefully ; saved, pinned to his skivvies. Did ; she mean to rob him?
; ; Tiffany stopped the car in the ; tall grass behind the garage. They ; could not be seen from the road, ; and a grove of trees blocked the ; view from any nearby farms. She ; reached out to him and drew him ; close to her for a long kiss. It ; was a kiss like nothing Carl had ; experienced, all wet and full of ; tongue. He liked it. Still, he ; couldn't believe it. This was a ; sailor's fantasy come true: picked ; up by a beautiful, passionate woman ; who talked of making love. ; "Tiffany," he said hesitantly, "do ; you do this often? I mean, am I ; supposed to pay you or something?"
; ; Tiffany laughed, a light, gay ; laugh for a woman with such a husky ; voice. "No, Carl, I'm not a ; prostitute. In fact, this is a ; first for me. I've never just gone ; out and picked up a stranger ; before. But you see, to me, you ; are not a stranger. I picked you ; out. You are the man I ; particularly want to make love ; with." She looked pointedly at her ; wrist watch. A tiny green light ; glowed on the face.
; ; "Tiffany, I think you are very ; nice, very pretty, but I can't...I ; don't know. If we were going ; steady or something." ; "Carl," she said, "don't be ; difficult. Don't resist. Kiss me ; again." When he hesitated, she ; unbuttoned the top of her dress and ; tried to put his hand on her ; breast. "Please, Carl. You have ; no idea how difficult it was for me ; to get here, and I've only got the ; one chance. This will be the high ; point of my life. I want to ; remember that it was nice, nice for ; both of us."
; ; "But why right now? Besides, ; I don't have a rubber." Not true. ; Like nearly every young man, he did ; have one and hopefully carried it ; always. "I wouldn't want to knock ; you up."
; ; "But that's the whole idea, ; Carl. Come on, get out of the ; car." She got out on the left, he ; on the right. The tall, wet grass ; dampened his uniform halfway to the ; knees. "Come on," she said, and ; she opened the trunk. She took ; something out and threw it down on ; the grass. It inflated ; automatically into a mattress, like ; the inflatable dinghies they had ; carried in the Cats. Carl could ; not help staring at it. In the ; distance, Carl could hear barnyard ; noises, chickens, and cows coming ; in for milking, but there, among ; the trees behind the garage, he was ; quite alone with a beautiful woman ; who seemed determined to make love ; with him.
; ; "Carl," she said, "I haven't ; much time." She pulled her dress ; over her head and tossed it on the ; car. Wow! Her stockings were like ; nothing Carl had ever seen, all in ; one piece right up to her waist. ; She kicked off her shoes and peeled ; off the stocking thing, her breasts ; swaying as she bent over to free ; her feet from the clingy hose. ; Then she was naked, stark naked, ; except for her watch and ear rings. ; She reached out to Carl. "Here, ; I'll help you undress."
; ; A vision, a perfect beauty, ; tall, taller than Carl, standing ; erect and inviting in the grass, a ; siren, a nymph, a goddess. The ; rosy light of dawn accentuated her ; curves and left enticing shadows in ; the hollows. "Come," she murmured ; as she put her arms around his ; waist and drew him toward the ; mattress. She ran her hands up ; under his shirt and caressed his ; body. One hand went to the first ; of the thirteen buttons which ; secured the flap of his uniform ; trousers. Carl pulled back, ; bumping into the car. She pressed ; against him, pressing her pelvis ; against his, looking down into his ; eyes and lightly kissing his nose ; and cheeks. "Carl," she breathed, ; "I want you. Relax, I won't hurt ; you." Her arms went around his ; neck and her breasts pressed ; against his chest. Carl put his ; hands on her firm waist, ; half-heartedly pushing her away. ; Suddenly Carl felt something on his ; neck: a stab, a burn, an electric ; shock. His arms and legs went ; rubbery. Sandwiched between ; Tiffany and the car, he did not ; fall over. He sagged, crumpled, ; and slid down between them, his ; face dragging across her breast, ; her belly, her thigh, her foot, the ; grass.
; ; He lay sprawled in the wet ; grass. His mind was clear. He ; could see. He could hear. He ; could smell and feel the grass ; against his face. His lungs ; worked, but his limbs did not, no ; matter how hard he willed to move ; them. He tried to scream, but all ; he heard was his breath. "Damn!" ; she said, "I didn't want to have to ; do it this way. Really, I didn't, ; but I'm fertile right now." He ; felt her lift him and place him on ; his back on the mattress. How ; strong she was. He was helpless to ; resist, and he suddenly remembered ; the time he had seen them laying ; out the dead for burial, after an ; air raid. She was doing that to ; him! "Foolish archaic clothing," ; she muttered as she undid the ; buttons and pulled down his pants, ; ignoring the money in his skivvies.
; ; As if in a dream, Carl watched ; her straddle his body and lower ; herself. He had feeling where it ; counted, and it felt so good! She ; rode him slowly at first, then ; faster, with wild abandon. Her ; golden hair swirled as she tossed ; her head. Her lips parted; her ; eyes flashed. He saw the sweat ; gleaming on her breast, the erect ; nipples. Carl experienced an ; exquisite series of internal ; explosions, to which she responded ; as if in pain, shuddering and ; straining, but, strangely, suddenly ; relaxing and smiling broadly. It ; was over.
; ; "I'm sorry I had to rape you ; like that; really, I am. It would ; have been nicer if...but, you see, ; I couldn't take the time." She ; continued to sit on him, breathing ; heavily and smiling, glowing with ; warmth. She reached forward and ; caressed Carl's face, ran her hands ; over his chest. "I want to savor ; these moments," she said. Then her ; watch gave a little beep and ; started blinking yellow. She got ; off him and began to pick up her ; clothes. "I hope you enjoyed that ; half as much as I did. You are ; some stud, Carl." She started to ; dress, keeping her eyes on his. ; "You know, you won't be able to ; tell anyone about this. You might ; better convince yourself it was all ; a wet dream." She pulled the ; mattress from beneath him and ; deflated it, tossing it in the car. ; "I wonder if you will ever ; understand." Then, impulsively, ; she added, "You, Carl Perry, will ; marry Patty Simmons. Your only ; child, a daughter, will be a ; scientific genius, a Nobel ; laureate, an author, a political ; activist. She will be beautiful, ; healthy, and will live to 93, when ; she will die in a skiing accident. ; That proves your genes are top ; notch, so I chose you to father my ; child." Her watch beeped and ; started blinking red.
; ; Tiffany slid into the driver's ; seat and closed the door. She ; didn't start the engine. She ; manipulated something underneath ; the dash. Then, with a smile, she ; called out the window, "Got to go, ; lover. Thanks a lot. Bye." There ; was a low rumble which rose in ; pitch to an almost inaudible whine. ; Then there was nothing. Tiffany, ; the car, just gone.
; ; Carl discovered he could move. ; He scrambled to his feet, pulled up ; his pants, and checked to see he ; still had his wallet. "Damn!" he ; said to no one in particular, "She ; went off with my sea bag." It took ; him a minute to do up his buttons ; and get organized. Then he started ; toward the road. He was smiling.
; ; An hour later he was at the ; Perry farm, greeted with hugs, and ; tears of happiness from his mother. ; Soon he was scarfing up three eggs, ; home-made sausages, and hot cakes. ; "Pa, I brought you and Ma some ; presents, souvenirs and stuff, but ; in the St. Louis bus depot I fell ; asleep, and somebody swiped my sea ; bag."
; ; "Oh, that's a shame, Dear," ; clucked his mother.
; ; "Well, nothing was worth much, ; except my discharge papers. I can ; get duplicates. Mom, did you ever ; meet anyone named Tiffany?"
; ; "No, Carl. Why do you ask?"
; ; "It just seemed like an ; unusual name. Someone said Harvey ; had a girl friend named Tiffany."
; ; "Not that I'd heard. Of ; course, we haven't seen Harvey, not ; to talk to."
; ; "Well, Son, now that you are ; home, what do you plan to do?" said ; Pa.
; ; "I aim to start with a long, ; hot bath, and get rid of this ; uniform. Then maybe go into town."
; ; "Sure, Carl," Ma said. "I'll ; get your Sunday suit out of the ; moth balls and press it while you ; take your bath. Take your time. ; Most your friends will be in ; church, won't they?"
; ; "Oh Ma, I know you want to sit ; and talk, but I'm restless. I want ; to walk the streets, smell the air, ; see the old home town. It's great ; to be back."
; ; "Sure, Son, I know. You can ; take the pick-up. Tank's half ; full," said Pa.
; ; Carl parked the pick-up and ; walked down the main street, ; hearing the muffled sound of ; singing from two of the churches. ; The air was fresh after the rain, ; and Carl felt uncommonly happy as ; he looked in the store windows. ; The Simmons' Store was open on ; Sunday, because they sold drugs and ; had gas pumps in front. He looked ; in the window past the big ; apothecary jars filled with ; brilliant green and red fluid. ; Patty Simmons was near the soda ; fountain, her father back in the ; pharmacy section. She looked ; really pretty, wearing a white ; sweater and a blue skirt, wartime ; style with no pleats, and saddle ; shoes.
; ; She smiled when Carl walked ; in. "Hi, Carl. Welcome home. Can ; I get you something?"
; ; "Hi, Patty." He had to stare. ; Patty had done her hair like ; Veronica Lake's, and she was ; shorter and rounder, but, by God, ; she reminded him of Tiffany. ; "Cherry Coke?"
; ; "One cherry Coke, coming up," ; she said, flashing her cheer leader ; smile, "on the house for our ; returning naval hero." He liked ; the way she moved when she worked ; the handles on the fountain and ; drew him a Coke with two shots of ; cherry syrup in it. She put the ; distinctive Coke glass on the ; counter and smiled again. "Been ; home long?"
; ; "Just got home this morning."
; ; "Didn't take you long to ; change your clothes."
; ; "Nope. The Navy and I have ; parted company for good. Time to ; settle down and be a farmer."
; ; "So how are you doing?"
; ; "Fine, glad to be home. And ; you?"
; ; She smiled again, showing her ; perfect teeth. "Fine, glad you're ; back." They smiled at each other ; for a few moments. "Say, Carl, ; there's a kind of a party at the ; Grange tonight. Would you like to ; go?"
; ; "You mean ... on a date?"
; ; "Yes. Will you take me?"
; ; "Sure! How long do you have ; to work here? Maybe we could go ; for a drive, kind of get acquainted ; again."
; ; "I'd love to, Carl. I'll tell ; Daddy. He won't mind. And I'll ; ask him if you can't have Sunday ; dinner with us, before the party."
; ; They drove back to the Perry ; farm, to tell his parents what he ; planned to do. Ma and Pa smiled ; warmly at Patty and said of course ; it would be all right to eat with ; the Simmons. Pa winked at Carl and ; told him to have a good time.
; ; Then they drove around a bit, ; making small talk. Patty asked ; Carl about his Navy experiences, ; and Carl asked her about what had ; happened at home. John Milch's ; mother had a gold star in the ; window; he'd been killed at Aachen. ; Jay Squires was back, trying to ; start a Studebaker dealership. ; "You can't buy a new car for love ; or money...or both." She didn't ; say much about herself.
; ; "Seen Harvey lately?"
; ; He didn't notice the catch in ; her voice when she replied, "No, ; not lately. Not for a few days. ; He's left town, I think."
; ; At dinner, Patty's parents ; insisted Carl have seconds of ; everything. When Patty went up to ; dress for the party, her father ; talked earnestly with Carl about ; what great opportunities there ; would be for young veterans, now ; that the war was over. When Patty ; came down the stairs, in a lacy ; dress and heels, she looked ; beautiful, grown up.
; ; The dance was fun, but it was ; mostly older folks. Not many of ; the young men were back from the ; war yet. And, of course, half the ; town wouldn't dream of dancing on ; Sunday. Carl reminded Patty about ; the USO dance, but she just made a ; face and said that was a long time ; ago. They were both older now.
; ; After the dance, they sat ; together on the glider on her front ; porch. Her parents called ; goodnight to them and turned off ; the lights in the house. Carl said ; it was getting cool, and he put his ; arm around her shoulder. She ; leaned against him, and they ; listened to the sounds of the ; night. Far away, a train whistled ; for a crossing. Carl put his hand ; under Patty's chin, lifted it, and ; ventured a kiss. She kissed him ; back with enthusiasm. ; When their lips parted, Patty ; said, "You know, Carl, I like you ; an awful lot. Even in high school, ; I thought you were nice, but, ; well... I had a lot of friends, you ; know."
; ; "I like you, too, Patty." He ; had a brief flashback to his ; experience that morning. You, Carl ; Perry, will marry Patty Simmons. ; That was what Tiffany had said, as ; if it were an unchangeable fact. ; It seemed a nice idea right then, ; with Patty so close, so pretty. A ; nice idea, but was it possible? ; How could it be that Patty really ; liked him? Was she just teasing? ; He kissed her again. She seemed to ; enjoy it. Carl insinuated his ; tongue between her lips, as Tiffany ; had done. Patty responded. ; Encouraged, Carl looked around. ; The town was dark; no one would see ; them. Tentatively, as he kissed ; her again, he placed his hand ; against her dress, over her breast. ; Without stopping the kiss, she ; pushed his hand away.
; ; From within the house, they ; heard the chiming of the clock in ; the living room. "It's getting ; late," they said to each other, ; simultaneously. Then they both ; giggled.
; ; "I'd better be going home," ; Carl said. "I want to be up early ; to help Pa with the milking. Can I ; see you tomorrow?" She nodded. ; "Here, about noon?"
; ; "Yes, I'd like that," she ; said. He kissed her briefly at the ; door, watched her enter the house, ; and skipped happily back to the ; truck.
; ; His parents, of course, were ; asleep when he got back to the ; farm. His room was as he had left ; it, except that his mother had ; turned back the covers of the bed ; and left a plate of cookies on the ; bedside table. Carl lay for a ; while in bed, calming down from the ; euphoria of being with Patty, not ; sleepy at all. He tried to ; mentally catalog what he knew of ; love and women. Film and literary ; sources didn't help; neither "Gone ; With The Wind" nor "Romeo and ; Juliet" seemed like very useful ; guides for getting to know a girl. ; He wasn't quite sure what love was, ; or how to recognize it when it ; appeared, but the feelings he had ; when he held Patty seemed a lot ; like the descriptions in stories he ; had read. Women, girls, mysterious ; creatures. It seemed some did; ; some didn't. He knew that love and ; sex were supposed to be related, ; but he knew that sex was sometimes ; anything but loving. He'd heard a ; lot about sex in the Navy, not much ; about love. He remembered Harvey ; boasting about how he had met a ; waitress in San Diego and "felt her ; up." He remembered a Marine ; telling about his encounter with a ; native girl. He had propped her up ; against a palm tree and "put it to ; her" standing up. She had ; evidently enjoyed it. She had ; cried out and urinated on the ; Marine when she "came." And then ; there was Tiffany. Surely she ; didn't love him, but she had ; enjoyed it. Carl realized there ; was a certain role reversal there; ; the man was supposed to be the ; aggressor, wasn't he? Did nice ; girls enjoy sex, ever? Was Patty a ; nice girl? Well, if Tiffany was ; anything to go by, Carl enjoyed ; sex. Patty sure reminded him of ; Tiffany.
; ; Carl drifted off to sleep. He ; dreamt of lying on his back in the ; light of the dawn, of Tiffany/Patty ; straddling his body and lowering... ; Then he was wide awake. Had it ; really happened? Or was it a ; dream? He reviewed the evidence. ; He must have gotten off the bus; ; that was real. Could he have ; fallen asleep, imagined the ; encounter with Tiffany? He was ; home for breakfast; could he have ; walked all that way home in a daze? ; Impossible. Could someone else ; have given him a ride, and he had ; forgotten all about it? Not ; likely. Suppose that Tiffany were ; real. She had certainly seemed ; real, and his uniform really was ; damp and grass stained. Yes, she ; was real.
; ; But how did she just disappear? ; The paralysis trick. How could she ; be so certain that he would marry ; Patty Simmons and sire a Nobel ; Prize winning daughter? It was ; weird, other worldly. Pa didn't ; know, but Carl had long ago ; discovered where Pa hid his copies ; of Weird Tales, and Carl used to ; sneak a read when he could. ; Tiffany qualified as a subject for ; a weird tale. If all this were a ; story in a magazine, she might be a ; time-traveling woman from the ; future, who had come to steal his ; seed. Yes, that was it. It all ; made sense, if Tiffany really was ; from the future. Her strange ; speech, her reference to the "old ; maps," and the letters his mother ; had kept, "historians" coming ; across them. But, if Tiffany was ; really a time traveler, then she ; really knew the future. It must be ; inevitable that he will marry Patty ; and father a genius. Love her or ; not, the future demands that he ; will get into Patty's pants, and ; she won't be able to stop him. ; Wow, it's a sure thing! A sure ; thing, nothing to worry about... ; He promptly fell asleep.
; ; His alarm clock woke him ; before dawn, and he hurriedly ; dressed to get out to the barn. ; The pink in the east, the smell of ; the fields, all reminded him of ; yesterday, of Tiffany. Dimly, he ; remembered that he had thought that ; all out, and he should put it ; behind him. More vivid was his ; memory of kissing Patty.
; ; Pa showed Carl the cows and ; heifers and named them all for Carl ; to get acquainted with them as he ; and Pa did the milking. Cows are a ; lot like family to a farmer. A lot ; of the cows that Carl remembered ; from before he joined the Navy were ; gone now, and he asked about them. ; Pa was proud that Carl remembered ; every one. Back in the house, Pa ; showed Carl the herd book.
; ; "Selective breeding is very ; important, isn't it, Pa."
; ; "You bet, Son."
; ; "It would be a crime to serve ; your best cow with just any old ; bull, wouldn't it."
; ; "That's the honest truth, Son. ; Some day this farm will be yours, ; and you will benefit from all the ; years I've been trying to improve ; the bloodlines of the herd. That's ; something you can't go out and buy. ; Breeding takes time, and it has to ; be done right."
; ; Later, as they relaxed with a ; cup of coffee, Carl remarked to his ; father, "Pa, I've got the urge to ; get married and settle down."
; ; "That's right and proper, Son. ; You're back from the war, almost ; twenty-two. It's time for you to ; think of marriage. Your mother and ; I would like some grandchildren. I ; married your mother when I was ; nineteen, and she was sixteen. Of ; course it was a while before you ; came along. We used to live in the ; tenant house, out back by the barn, ; until your grandpa got busted up, ; and I took over running the farm. ; You won't have to wait until I get ; crippled or croak. I'm willing to ; retire and let you do the work any ; time you are ready." Carl knew ; that his father didn't mean right ; now, but he was trying to reassure ; Carl.
; ; "I told Patty Simmons I'd see ; her about noon. Is that OK? I ; mean, if you need me for ; anything..."
; ; "No, Son, you go see Patty. ; You've your own life to live. ; She's a fine girl. Queen of the ; Prom, as I remember. Doc Simmons ; is a fine man; they're good stock."
; ; When Carl went to Patty's ; house, Mrs. Simmons was fretting ; that the radio wouldn't work. It ; was a big old Stromberg-Carlson ; with a varnished wooden cabinet ; about the size of a hay bale.
; ; "You know about radios, Carl. ; Do you think you could fix it?" ; said Patty. "Carl's very clever. ; During the war he did something ; with radios."
; ; "I guess I could have a look," ; he replied. What else could he ; say? He got the back off the ; cabinet and poked around. He ; spotted the trouble right away.
; ; "Your IF amplifier tube looks ; like it's burned out."
; ; "Is that serious, Carl?" asked ; Mrs. Simmons.
; ; "Well, it's got to be ; replaced. I don't suppose I could ; find one around here. Why don't ; Patty and I drive over to Byron and ; see if we can get one? With luck, ; we can be back and have your radio ; fixed before supper time."
; ; That's what they did, and they ; had a fine time, stopping for sodas ; at a drug store and sitting for a ; while in the Memorial Park, just ; talking.
; ; "What church do you go to, ; Patty?"
; ; "Methodist, but we don't go ; every week. Well, mostly Christmas ; and Easter. My mother was Baptist, ; and Daddy was what he called a free ; thinker, so they kind of ; compromised on Methodist. ; Sometimes, when Mommy is feeling ; religious, she and I go, and Daddy ; minds the store. What church do ; you belong to?"
; ; "I guess the Perrys are about ; the only family in town that don't ; belong to a church. My father used ; to be Presbyterian, but something ; happened, years ago, before I was ; born, and he's been an atheist ever ; since. He says that if God does ; exist, he's not the kind of person ; you'd want for a friend. God plays ; cruel tricks. Look what he did to ; Job."
; ; Patty giggled. "Well, I guess ; he's got a point, hasn't he, Carl. ; I think it was Mark Twain said ; something about heaven having a ; good climate, but all his good ; friends would be in hell. Something ; like that." She giggled again at ; the blasphemy of it all. "Do you ; have any brothers or sisters?"
; ; "No."
; ; "Me neither. I think, ; someday, I'd like to have about ; three kids. Maybe two boys and a ; girl."
; ; "That sounds nice."
; ; Suddenly Carl was reminded of ; what Tiffany had said: "Your only ; child, a daughter,..."
; ; "Of course, Patty," he said ; awkwardly, "I guess...well, when it ; comes to children, you have to be ; happy with what you get. I mean, ; you can't really plan on two boys ; and a girl." It struck Carl for ; the first time that, if Tiffany was ; right, he would have no son to pass ; the farm on to. It made him sad, ; for a moment, but he told himself ; that he couldn't change the future. ; He was going to marry Patty, and ; they would have one child, a ; daughter, who would be a blessing ; to the world. That was why Tiffany ; wanted his seed. He wondered it ; Tiffany really did get pregnant ; from their brief encounter. ; Perhaps he would have a son, after ; all, some time in the future, after ; he, Carl, was long dead.
; ; "Carl? Are you all right? ; You have the strangest look on your ; face."
; ; "Oh, sure, Patty. I was just ; thinking, about children. I think ; it would be just great to have a ; house full of them."
; ; "And a dog, and a cat? Kids ; should have pets, don't you think?"
; ; "Sure, Patty. The more the ; merrier."
; ; And so it went. They got back ; well before supper, and Carl had ; the radio fixed in a jiffy. He was ; off to do his chores at home before ; Mr. Simmons got home from the ; store.
; ; About dark, Carl was back on ; the Simmons' porch, with Patty very ; much on his mind. Mr. Simmons came ; to the door and invited him in. ; "My wife tells me you fixed the ; radio."
; ; "It wasn't much, Sir, just a ; tube."
; ; "Are you good with radios? ; Could you fix other things? I mean ; if there was more than just a tube ; wrong?"
; ; "Sure, I guess so. I'd need ; some tools and instruments: a ; signal generator, vacuum tube volt ; meter, rf probe...not much. You ; can get them from a catalog. I ; fixed a lot of radios in the Navy, ; had to."
; ; "Have you ever thought of going ; into the business, son? Repairing ; radios?"
; ; Carl liked the note of ; familiarity in his voice, the way ; he said "son". "I have a farm to ; worry about. I couldn't be ; spending all day in a store in ; town. Besides, there can't be ; enough business to make a living."
; ; "Well, of course, you are ; right, Carl. People are used to ; going over to Byron or Dexterville ; with their broken radios. But ; there are quite a few. Suppose I ; put a sign in my store, Radios ; Repaired? I could take them in. ; You could pick them up, fix them ; when you had the time, after you'd ; done your farm work, and return ; them to me. I'd collect the money ; for the repairs and keep out, say, ; fifteen per cent for me. How's ; that sound?" Carl agreed that it ; sounded pretty good, but warned it ; would take a while to get set up.
; ; "Daddy must really like you," ; said Patty excitedly, when they ; were alone. "He never talked to ; any of my other boy friends like ; that."
; ; "What other boy friends?"
; ; "Oh, Carl, you know I've had ; lots of boy friends."
; ; "Well how about me? I don't ; want to share you with lots of boy ; friends. Will you go steady with ; me?" It just slipped out. He ; hadn't really meant to push things ; so fast. But he knew he was ; destined to marry Patty Simmons, so ; perhaps it didn't really matter. ; It was only a matter of time. If ; she didn't want to, he could wait.
; ; Patty thought for what seemed ; an uncomfortably long time. "OK, ; Carl, I'll go steady with you. At ; least for a while."
; ; Carl hugged her and kissed her ; joyously, and Patty made a mock ; protest. They spent a long time on ; the porch glider that night. When ; Carl finally tried to put his hand ; over her breast a second time, she ; did not push it away.
; ; "Mmmmm, Carl," she murmured, ; "you grew up a lot in the Navy, ; didn't you. You'reso... ; sophisticated." Carl caressed her ; breasts, through her dress. She ; had large breasts. He liked them. ; It was the first time he had ever ; done that; Norma Jean would never ; let him. He thought he could feel ; her nipples through her bra, but he ; wasn't sure. He raised one hand to ; her throat and tried to slip it ; down the front of her blouse. ; Patty firmly removed it. "What ; sort of girl do you think I am?" ; she said. "Don't you respect me?"
; ; "Of course I respect you," he ; said. "You are the prettiest, ; sweetest, smartest girl in town, ; and I feel incredibly lucky that ; you are going steady with me. It's ; just that you are so beautiful, so ; incredibly lovely." He hugged her ; closely. "It's just... it's just ; that I can't keep my hands off you. ; I'd like to... Oh, I've just got ; to make you all mine." He showered ; her with kisses, her mouth, her ; cheeks, her eyes, her ears, her ; throat, until she giggled and ; pushed him away. "Patty," he ; whispered, "there is absolutely ; nothing on my mind except wanting ; to make love with you."
; ; "Oh, Carl, don't talk like ; that." She cradled his head in her ; arms, pressed his face against the ; front of her dress, and neither one ; said anything for a long time.
; ; When Carl went home that ; night, he almost ran off the road, ; thinking of Patty. He didn't ; think, even once, of Tiffany. He ; was going steady with Patty. He ; slept very well that night, but he ; woke up with sticky pajamas.
; ; Tuesday morning, at breakfast, ; Pa remarked that they were having a ; fine spell of Indian summer, ; unusually sunny and warm. Carl ; said yes, and he'd like to spend ; such a nice day with Patty. "We're ; going steady."
; ; "So soon?" asked Ma. "You've ; only been home, why less than two ; days. Do you know her that well, ; Carl?"
; ; "We've known each other since ; grade school."
; ; "Now Mother," said Pa, "he's ; been away at the war. He's got a ; lot of lost time to make up for."
; ; "You know, Carl," Ma said, ; "I'm only thinking of your best ; interests. Do you know what she's ; been doing while you were away?"
; ; "Helping her father in the ; drug store."
; ; "I'm just concerned for you, ; Carl. I wouldn't want you to ; get... well, soiled goods."
; ; "What are you saying, Ma?"
; ; "Well, Mrs. Pearson says that ; her daughter says that Patty ; Simmons is...is easy. I just want ; you to be careful. Don't let her ; take advantage of you. I mean, you ; haven't had a lot of experience ; with girls, have you, Carl?"
; ; "Ma, we're only going steady."
; ; Pa spoke up: "Now there, Carl ; is a grown man. We've got to let ; him make his own decisions." Ma ; dropped the topic.
; ; That afternoon, Carl and Patty ; took a long walk along the river ; bank, and, when they were well out ; of sight of the town, they sat on ; the bank and tossed pebbles in the ; water and talked. Then Patty ; dropped a twig down the back of ; Carl's shirt, and he threatened to ; do the same to her, and soon they ; were rolling around in the grass, ; tickling each other and laughing. ; Carl found himself pressing Patty ; down into the grass, his body ; stretched out over hers, pressing ; against her and holding her hands ; over her head so she could not push ; him away. They kissed a long, wet, ; tongue-filled kiss. But then Patty ; wriggled loose. "Carl! Stop! I'm ; getting grass stains all over my ; clothes. What will I say when I ; get home?" So they resumed their ; walk, and Carl was too embarrassed ; to go in with her when he left her ; at her house.
; ; That night, after milking and ; such, Carl went back to see Patty. ; Mrs. Simmons insisted that they all ; play Monopoly together. Mr. Simmons ; won, with Carl a close second. They ; certainly made him feel welcome, ; invited him for supper tomorrow ; night, but he was disappointed that ; he got hardly more than a goodnight ; peck from Patty. "No more rolling ; in the grass," she whispered. Then ; she giggled: "Next time, bring a ; blanket."
; ; Wednesday, since he was ; staying for supper, Carl wore a ; sport coat, white shirt, and tie. ; Mr. Simmons had asked Patty to help ; in the store, so Carl sat in the ; store with her. When there were ; customers, he would browse through ; a magazine. When there were not, ; he and she would talk earnestly. ; One of the things they talked about ; was The Scarlet Letter, a book that ; Patty had read just recently (it ; wouldn't be allowed in the school ; library) and that Carl had read a ; year ago when they had had a spell ; of bad flying weather. They agreed ; that Hester wasn't such a bad girl. ; Society can be cruel.
; ; At one point, they overheard ; Mrs. Canfield, who was hard of ; hearing and tended to speak loudly, ; speaking with Mr. Simmons. "...Your ; daughter, Patty, with that farm ; boy, Carl Perry. What an odd ; couple: beauty and the beast, ha, ; ha, ha. It's all over town that ; they are..."
; ; Then Mr. Simmons raised his ; voice: "He seems nice enough to me, ; Mrs. Canfield, and I'll thank you ; not to spread rumors about my ; daughter and whoever she chooses to ; spend her time with."
; ; "Really, Doc, you should..."
; ; "Doc" Simmons said something ; through clenched teeth, something ; they couldn't hear. Mrs. Canfield ; clutched her prescription and ; hurried past Carl and Patty, not ; looking at them. She slammed the ; door behind her.
; ; Carl looked at Patty. She ; blushed. "What do you suppose is ; all over town about us?"
; ; "Oh, Carl, Mrs. Canfield is ; the world's worst gossip. Probably ; someone said they saw us together, ; and her imagination and big mouth ; did the rest. It doesn't matter." ; Carl would have liked to have known ; more. Whatever it was, he felt a ; little proud, that people knew he ; was dating the prettiest girl in ; town.
; ; That night, after supper, ; Patty's parents found some reason ; not to sit and talk, so Carl, ; impatiently, got to sit on the ; glider with Patty. He still ; couldn't understand his good ; fortune, that she really seemed to ; like him, and her parents didn't ; seem to mind. He put his arm ; around her and kissed her. She ; kissed him back as if she enjoyed ; it. He put his hand on the bodice ; of her dress. She didn't resist ; him. He tried to unbutton it. She ; protested.
; ; "There's no one to see," he ; whispered.
; ; "That's not the point. It's ; not right. We're only going ; steady."
; ; "Don't you like it when I ; touch you lovingly?" She did not ; reply. "Suppose we were engaged. ; Would it be all right then? Would ; you like me to make mad, passionate ; love to you, or would you get all ; cold and stiff?"
; ; "Carl, I like you very much. ; But there's a time and place. A ; girl can't let just any man fondle ; her body, even if she likes him ; very much. Things can get out of ; hand. You don't know what could ; happen."
; ; "Ah,ha. You are telling me ; you don't like me to touch you, ; because you do like me to touch ; you, and you are afraid it might be ; habit forming."
; ; "Something like that. I'm ; afraid of you, Carl. You've only ; been back from the Navy for four ; days. How do I know you're not ; taking advantage of me?"
; ; Carl held her firmly, pulling ; her head down on his shoulder. ; Softly and seriously, he spoke to ; her: "I do not want my girl saying ; she doesn't trust me. I love you, ; and I wouldn't think of hurting ; you. I want you. I want to make ; love to you. I want the thrill of ; delighting you like no one else ; can. I want you to be mine, all ; mine. Do you understand?"
; ; "Yes, Carl, and I go to bed at ; night dreaming of what it might be ; like having you make love to me. ; But a girl has to be careful. ; We're not even engaged."
; ; "That would make a difference?"
; ; "Yes, Carl."
; ; Carl decided to put it to the ; test. "Sweetheart," he said, "will ; you marry me?"
; ; "Oh, yes, Carl!" she said.
; ; "Great! We're engaged." He ; hugged her, surging with ; excitement. Everything was going ; according to plan. He really was ; going to get into Patty's panties! ; But then she pushed him away ; and took both of his hands in hers ; and looked at him very seriously. ; There was enough moon that he could ; see her expression. "Carl, we ; don't really know each other all ; that well. Are you really sure you ; want to marry me?"
; ; "Yes!" Carl meant it. He was ; strongly attracted to her, and the ; fact that there seemed to be some ; sort of cosmic plan, that he ; couldn't help marrying her, ; relieved him of any need to wonder ; whether he was doing the right ; thing. "Yes, I want to marry you."
; ; "Carl, would it bother you to ; know...I'm not a virgin?"
; ; "Patty, that's all right. I'm ; not either." He saw that she was ; still concerned. "Patty, you're ; twenty-one years old. It wouldn't ; be normal for you to live that long ; and never to have been in love. I ; understand."
; ; "Carl, you are so nice. I do ; love you." They kissed, and Carl ; pressed her down against the ; cushions, his hands roaming more ; freely than he had previously ; dared. Patty did not resist. Carl ; was elated; she was his! ; "Mmmmm...Carl," she responded, "you ; are so good! Can we get married ; right away? I can't wait."
; ; "Of course, My Dearest, ; whenever you want. I can't wait ; either. We can fix up the tenant ; house out by the barn. How long ; will it take to arrange for the ; wedding?"
; ; She stroked his face. "Could ; we elope? Tomorrow?" ; "Anything you say, My Love." ; He enveloped her as if they were ; already married. "We'll run away ; together tomorrow. Tonight, if you ; want."
; ; "Yes, Carl, tonight! Oh, I ; love you."
; ; "Won't your parents be upset?"
; ; "They'll understand, Carl. ; I'm old enough; I don't need their ; permission. We can drive to Dalton ; and be married by the mayor, first ; thing in the morning."
; ; "Heck, what are you waiting ; for, woman?" said Carl, suddenly ; possessive. "Go get your things, ; whatever you need, and meet me by ; the truck." She slipped away from ; him, let herself quietly into the ; house, and was back at the pick-up ; in only a minute, carrying a little ; overnight bag. They embraced ; again, as if after a long absence, ; and climbed into the cab, trying to ; close the door quietly. They ; kissed again. "I can't believe ; this is happening to me," he said. ; "I'm so happy."
; ; Patty was silent for a moment. ; "Carl, I love you. I think it's ; really nice that you love me and ; want to marry me. I want you to ; marry me, but..."
; ; "But what?"
; ; "If we are going to be ; married, Carl, I've got to be ; honest with you. I... I..." She ; looked troubled again. She ; couldn't go on.
; ; "Patty," Carl replied, "Tell ; me what you were going to say." ; She squirmed, silently. "I insist ; that my wife be honest with me, ; just as honest as I am with her. I ; love you. I'm as certain as I am ; of anything that we are going to ; get married, and I don't see any ; point in wasting time, because I ; lust for you in the worst way. But ; let's always be honest with each ; other." He kissed her, tenderly. ; "I won't start this truck until you ; finish what you started to say."
; ; She hesitated, and he put his ; arm around her. She shivered a ; little and made some mewling false ; starts. "Take your time, Dear," ; said Carl, softly. Still, she ; hesitated. His right arm was ; around her shoulders, pulling her ; close against him. Carl reached ; over with his left hand and stroked ; her thigh, cupped her breast, ; asserted his claim to her body. ; Patty did not pull away or hold his ; hand; she leaned into him ; affectionately.
; ; Still, there was her ; unfinished sentence. "Tell me," he ; whispered, "what you were going to ; say. You have to tell me." Patty ; made a noise like a kitten, and ; sniffled. "Tell me!"
; ; "Carl!" she blurted, "I'm ; pregnant! I'm only a little ; pregnant. I was planning to make ; you think it was yours. But that ; wouldn't be right. Do you still ; want to marry me?"
; ; Carl kissed her tenderly. "Of ; course I do. Was it Harvey?"
; ; "Yes. It didn't seem so ; sinful. We'd always said we'd get ; married someday. When I told him ; my period was overdue, that we ; would have to get married right ; away, he got mad and left town." ; She embraced Carl with both arms, ; pressing against him. "I HAVE to ; get married, Carl. I want my baby ; to have a name, Carl! Do you ; understand? Do you mind? Can you ; still love me, knowing what a fool ; I was? I'm soiled goods, Carl. Do ; you still want me? Will you still ; marry me? Please? I'll try to be ; a good wife, Carl. I'll make it up ; to you."
; ; "Yes, Patty, I still want ; you." He pulled her still closer. ; He could believe she really loved ; him, lusted for him as he lusted ; for her. "I can't help wanting ; you. We will get married right ; away, and no one else will ever ; know she's not my daughter."
; ; "She? Why do you think it ; will be a girl?"
; ; Carl did not reply ; immediately. He had to think. If ; he and Patty had only one child, ; the genius daughter, and she was ; really Harvey's daughter, then Carl ; would actually have no children of ; his own, not of his own seed. The ; Perry line would die out. There ; would be no grandson to inherit the ; farm. So? That didn't seem so ; important, not when the prettiest ; woman in town would soon be his. ; Tiffany was right; he would marry ; Patty Simmons, but Tiffany couldn't ; have known that Patty had to marry ; him, because she was pregnant with ; Harvey's child and desperate to get ; married, even to someone like Carl, ; if he would have her. Tiffany went ; to all that trouble, and mated with ; the wrong stud!
; ; "Carl," Patty said, squirming ; a bit as Carl hugged her, "why do ; you think our baby will be a girl? ; Carl, why are you looking at me ; like that? Why are you laughing?"
; ; Carl pressed his lips ; together, trying to hold his ; laughter in. When his ribs stopped ; shaking, and he could keep from ; laughing out loud, he breathed ; deeply, chuckled a bit, and finally ; was able to reply. "I'm not ; laughing at you, Patty. My father ; was right. God, or fate, or ; whatever it is, plays cruel jokes ; on people. Then they have to... ; they have to laugh, because it's ; better to laugh than to cry." He ; put both hands on her shoulders, ; holding her at arm's length and ; looking her in the eye. "Do you ; really want to marry a runt like ; me? Do you really think you can be ; happy with me? I'm not tall and ; handsome and popular like Harvey."
; ; "Yes, Carl. I'm glad you're ; not like Harvey. You are kind, and ; honest, and I know you will be a ; good father. I promise I'm going ; to be the best wife I can."
; ; "Good," said Carl, as he ; twisted the ignition key and ; stepped on the starter.
; ;