Look at It from Both Sides
Look at It
from Both Sides
At Schoenfeld’s, life happened in the kitchen.
They had a dining room table, but it was only used on momentous occasions.
Since Nomi died and Ethan left, Dane had no momentous occasions.
He’d been using the dining room table as a second junk drawer, making doom piles of random stuff to deal with later.
Tonight, he moved all the piles under the table and arranged Ethan’s postcards in order. He had left the continent and arrived in England, where the greatest concentration of churches with the Three Hares motif was found. The majority in Devon, where they were known as Tinner’s Hares.
As his collection grew, Dane discovered he possessed enough magnanimity to honor the pilgrimage at face value. It was a grand, romantic gesture of the kind only Ethan could deliver. Still...
He sighed and rubbed at his left eye. Within, Diane was floating in and out of a mental closet, trying on outfits. Brushing her hair. Getting ready because girl, it was on.
“Liko,” Dane said over the postcards. “Liko Greenman.”
Liko fucking Greenman, Diane said. Can you believe it? Can you believe this shit? Dude, screw the postcards. It’s him. He’s back. He found you. And his name? Come on.
“He doesn’t remember me.”
Not now but believe me, he will.
“Maybe he’s gotten remarried. If not, he’s definitely with someone.”
Diane put down her eyeliner and cast him the most withering of big-sister looks. That wreck of a man is not with anyone right now.
“Well, maybe I don’t want to be with a wrecked man.”
She laughed and turned back to the mirror. Dane rolled his eyes and pointedly rearranged his cards into straighter lines.
“Think he likes men?” he finally asked.
She folded her hands on the dressing table. He kissed you on New Year’s Eve.
True. Just on the cheek, but still.
“Maybe he’s South American,” he said.
Diane smiled. He also gave you a full-frontal hug.
Also true. A hug Dane had recreated with pillows many times. Sometimes with a load of warm towels pulled out of the dryer. Or the two terrycloth robes hanging on a hook in his bathroom. A full-frontal hug was a pretty big hint of…
“What, exactly?” he asked.
Diane shrugged. That he doesn’t subscribe to toxic masculinity?
“He’s probably straight.”
I want to meet him tomorrow.
“You?”
He doesn’t remember you, so it’s the perfect time for me.
“Shut up.”
He’ll remember my eyes. Let me try.
“You don’t even like being in the world.”
I do when it’s on my terms.
“It’s been years.”
I hear it’s like riding a bicycle.
“You have nothing to wear.”
We both know that’s a lie.
It was. In the attic’s cedar closet were stored some of Nomi’s clothes that Saskia was saving. Also a small zipped suitcase which hadn’t been opened in years, but had everything Diane needed.
“You’re nuts.”
Diane put arms around him from behind. I know.
“What purpose would it serve? The poor guy looks like hell. I’m going to play head games with him?”
He didn’t recognize you. You had the wrong eyes. If you answer the door tomorrow with my eyes, that’s a head game too.
“He’s seen tons of blue eyes in his life, he’s not going to specifically remember yours.”
In your face, he might.
“Your face or our face?”
She snugged her cheek against the left side of his face and spoke through his blue eye: You’ve been thinking about this guy for over a year. Just when you made peace with him being a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, he shows up at your house? Totally random? Not even recognizing you?
“Or pretending not to.”
Dude, if he was looking for you, he would’ve said so. This is a bizarre, once-in-a-lifetime coincidence. Don’t you think you should look at it from both sides?
Dane sighed in the circle of her arms. “Maybe.”
She squeezed him. It’ll be fun.
“I’m in the middle of a T cycle. I’m not going to get your voice right. It works better when I’m at the end.”
He won’t know that. I’ll help you. We’ll Kathleen Turner the shit out of it. She kissed his cheek, exactly where Liko had on that long-ago night.
Dane shook his head. “This is a terrible idea. What time?”