chain, chain, chain...

I am laying on the couch reading about circus sideshows in the 1930s when my phone rings. There's a number instead of a name scrolling across the ID screen, and the area code is the only thing that catches my attention. 314. I've seen these numbers before, or at least, some combination of them. Hmmm.

"Hello?"

This time I recognize his voice.





Adam Rose called me again this afternoon. He tossed out some of the usual gorgeous charm, which I, finally, conceded to wade through, trying to pick out what was real. Actually let myself think there was even a possibility that any of it was real. The whole thing settled better in my stomach this time.

He cracks my mind open further. It is taking me a very long time to learn him, but slowly, slowly, I am figuring little bits out. An awful lot of time must have passed, because....I don't mind.





"I've got a list of numbers and addresses of about 15 people or so, and that's including my mom and my dad and my brother and sister and stuff....people from my past that I want to....still know.......that I want to continue to know, 5,000 miles away." And then he pauses before he adds, "And you're one of them."

"Well," I manage, slowly, honestly. "It's good to hear from you."

"Yeah," he says softly.