pretty lady, jay said.
kay clicked off the picture of her, while jay draged a chair and sat down. they watched elizabeth by satellite as she prepared for a picnic in her backyard.
jay continued, you were the guy with the flowers in the photo, the night the aliens arrived. what, you were on your way to a dance or something and you got lost? and she never got those flowers, did she?
kay didn't answer, he just stared at the screen. elizabeth looked up, as if she knows she's being watched, but she's just looking at the sky, wondering how many stars'll be out tonight.
grumpy guy's story comes into focus, jay said. she ever get married?
no.
kay sat back in his chair and ate a potato chip morosely. jay looked at him, is this me in thirty years?
silence, and a moment went by.
finally jay started, eyes fixed on kay, well, it's better to have loved and lost than to never have--
kay turned with a cold stare and said quite simply,
try it.


mib