One Night Only (236 page)

Bu
t
the
n
agai
n
h
e
di
d
hav
e
mor
e
pressin
g
thing
s
on hi
s
min
d
thes
e
days
.
Thing
s
lik
e
th
e
surviva
l
o
f
his
laundr
y
busines
s
i
n a
recession
,
thing
s
lik
e
strugglin
g
with mortgag
e
arrear
s
a
s a
singl
e
parent
,
thing
s
lik
e
wher
e
to bu
y
everyda
y
stuf
f
fo
r
tw
o
ver
y
demanding
,
fast-growing preteen
s
whos
e
worl
d
revolve
d
aroun
d
designe
r
clothes
an
d
Xbo
x
game
s . . .
yes
,
Dougi
e
ha
d a
lo
t
o
n
hi
s
mind thes
e
day
s
an
d
Natali
e
kne
w
tha
t
sometime
s
sh
e
jus
t
had t
o
com
e a
lon
g
wa
y
dow
n
o
n
hi
s
list.

An
d
besides
,
thirty-fiv
e
wasn
’
t
reall
y
a
n
ag
e
t
o
celebrate anyho
w
,
wa
s
it
?
Ther
e
wa
s
nothin
g
grea
t
abou
t
being thirty-fiv
e . . .
nothin
g
t
o
reall
y
mak
e a
bi
g
son
g
an
d
dance
ove
r
,
s
o
sh
e
shouldn
’
t
swea
t
tha
t
Dougi
e
hadn
’
t
mad
e a
fuss
.
I
t
wasn
’
t
‘sweet
’
lik
e
sixteen
,
i
t
didn
’
t
screa
m
‘get
drun
k
legally
’
lik
e
eighteen
,
i
t
didn
’
t
giv
e
yo
u a
ke
y
t
o
the doo
r
lik
e
a
t
twenty-one
,
i
t
wasn
’
t a
depressin
g
turning poin
t
lik
e
bein
g
thirt
y
an
d
yo
u
neve
r
eve
r
hear
d
o
f a
thirty- fift
h
birthda
y
bash
.
W
ell
,
Natali
e
h
a
dn
’
t a
n
y
ho
w
.

Bein
g
thirty-fiv
e
wa
s . . .
well
,
jus
t
ordinar
y
reall
y
,
and
Natali
e
McKenn
a
wa
s
slowl
y
decidin
g
tha
t
i
f
anything, i
t
wa
s
perhap
s a
tim
e
fo
r
he
r
t
o
reflec
t
o
n
wher
e
sh
e
was
i
n
life
,
an
d
wher
e
sh
e
wante
d
t
o
b
e
whe
n
th
e
next
mileston
e
cam
e
aroun
d
(th
e
on
e
the
y
sa
y
tha
t
lif
e
begins
at)
.
Tha
t
ag
e
wa
s
onl
y
roun
d
th
e
corne
r
,
bu
t
Natali
e
had
bee
n
hopin
g
tha
t
lif
e
woul
d
begi
n
fo
r
he
r
lon
g
before
no
w
.
He
r
lif
e
hadn
’
t
exactl
y
worke
d
ou
t
a
s
sh
e
had planne
d
o
r
hope
d
fo
r
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
lif
e
a
s
sh
e
kne
w
i
t
for no
w
an
d
i
t
wa
s
u
p
t
o
he
r
t
o
mak
e
thing
s
happe
n
and tha
t
wa
s
exactl
y
wha
t
sh
e
intende
d
t
o
do.

Y
es
,
sh
e
ha
d a
lo
t
t
o
b
e
thankfu
l
fo
r
,
bu
t
thing
s
hadn
’
t
reall
y
change
d
to
o
muc
h
i
n
th
e
pas
t
ten
,
mayb
e
fifteen years
.
Sh
e
stil
l
live
d
i
n
th
e
sam
e
coasta
l
tow
n
wher
e
she ha
d
celebrate
d
he
r
ver
y
firs
t
birthda
y
.
Sh
e
stil
l
worked fo
r
he
r
parent
s
a
t
thei
r
bus
y
bu
t
time-warpe
d
caf
é
where th
e
sam
e
peopl
e
wit
h
th
e
sam
e
face
s
at
e
th
e
sam
e
food yea
r
in
,
yea
r
out
.
Sh
e
stil
l
ha
d
nothin
g
t
o
cal
l
he
r
own apar
t
fro
m
Penn
y
th
e
Peugeo
t
20
5
whic
h
ha
d
reall
y
seen bette
r
day
s
an
d
eve
n
Dougie
,
he
r
boyfrien
d
o
f
tw
o
years, stil
l
wasn
’
t
reall
y
al
l
he
r
own.

H
e
wasn
’
t
al
l
he
r
ow
n
an
d
probabl
y
neve
r
woul
d
be wit
h
hi
s
famil
y
commitment
s
an
d
busines
s
tangles
,
but Natali
e
stil
l
believe
d
tha
t
i
n
al
l
he
r
thirty-fiv
e
years, Dougi
e
wa
s
th
e
bes
t
thin
g
tha
t
ha
d
happene
d
t
o
he
r
,
eve
n
i
f
i
t
wa
s
i
n a
‘bette
r
lat
e
tha
n
never
’
kin
d
o
f
wa
y
.

H
e
ha
d
hi
s
fault
s
lik
e
an
y
othe
r
man
.
H
e
wasn
’
t
the romanti
c
typ
e
a
t
all
,
bu
t
h
e
showe
d
h
e
love
d
he
r
i
n
many othe
r
way
s –
lik
e
th
e
wa
y
sh
e
woul
d
catc
h
hi
m
watching he
r
wit
h
longin
g
whe
n
sh
e
wa
s
doin
g
th
e
mos
t
mundane thing
s
suc
h
a
s
fixin
g
he
r
hai
r
o
r
eve
n
washin
g
th
e
dishes, o
r
th
e
wa
y
h
e
thanke
d
he
r
ever
y
da
y
fo
r
comin
g
int
o
his
lif
e
an
d
makin
g
hi
s
everyda
y
experience
s
see
m
worthwhile
again
.
O
r
ho
w
whe
n
thing
s
wer
e
hecti
c
wit
h
th
e
twins
an
d
th
e
demand
s
o
f
everyda
y
life
,
h
e
woul
d
d
o
something
tha
t
wa
s
s
o
tende
r
,
lik
e
puttin
g
hi
s
finger
s
gentl
y
o
n
the b
ac
k
o
f
he
r
nec
k
an
d
movin
g
hi
s
thumb
s
i
n a
ligh
t
mas
s
age
an
d
sh
e
woul
d
fee
l
tingle
s
ru
n
righ
t
dow
n
he
r
spin
e
from hi
s
touch.