When she came home her arm was definitely a sickly gray. She considered taking off the wire and then realized this would undo what she had already done and let her where she was. It may even make her sick. Her arm offended her, it would have to be cut off. She looked at the scarred elbow and wrist, the hand that would not function, considered the pain she was having and put the sling back on. She felt so alone. At about six she got into the car and went to a family run Italian restaurant. She took a small table in the back, ordered, pulled out her book and started to read. A few pages later someone said “Hi.” She looked up. It was Darin King, a guy who had been a guest on her show in the first month she was there, one of the few ever male guests. They were doing a week on breast cancer. He was there discussing the impact of breast cancer on a marriage from the male point of view. His wife Julie had found a lump two weeks after the wedding. It looked like stage one but the cancer was a bad one, in spite of surgery, radiation, chemo she was gone in less than two years. She had videoed herself talking during the time and told him if the tapes would help someone he was free to share them after she was gone. He did share some of them on the show along with his own thoughts. She hadn’t seen him since the program.

“Hi.” Her face brightened as she recognized him.

“Are you meeting someone?” His voice was tense.

“No. Just here reading. I didn’t want to be home alone.”

“I understand that. If you want to be alone here I will go over to my table.”

She looked up with sad eyes that said “don’t” as clearly as her voice, “Don’t do that. I would rather have someone here.”

“Maybe I’m not the right person.”

She reached up and took his hand, “You are definitely not the wrong person. Please, sit down with me.”

“Let me get my stuff, be right back.” She tentatively released his hand.

“Please come back.”

He picked up his drink and things and brought them to the table then pulled up a chair and lowered himself into it. “Are you sure you don’t mind.”