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Show Woodworth/157 He turns to Gray, and speaks to him through the smoke of the barbecue. "Sometimes, it seems like they never even get to meet boys their own age. Decent ones, respectable. But I don't see how they can avoid it. Boston must be full of men who just graduated from Harvard." "Maybe they do go out, and we just don't know about it," Ruth says. She notices that Ned winces when she speaks, and feels a pang in her chest. "They both live away from home now. We have no'' idea, what they do all the time." "Yeah," Ned says, looking down into his empty glass. "But it seems like there is a shortage of good choices. And I can't understand why they aren't going out with a different boy every night. If I was their age, I certainly would be calling. ' "How do you like your hamburger cooked, Ruth?" Gray asks. "Medium rare is fine." "Ned?" "Medium rare. Medium rare is* fine for me, too." "They'll meet someone," Kathy counsels. I didn't think Stephanie was ever going to be popular. She went through such an awkward stage in high school. And she got engaged her junior year in college. They'll suprise you. You just have to let them do it in their own time." "They used to be popular, rembmber?" Ned turns to Ruth again, and she notices in this light the shadows that collect under his eyes. It's true, they really are getting old. They aren't even parents anymore. They are old people. Nothing between now and being a grandparent. "When Jake used to bring his friends home, they always thought our girls were attractive. Marty.even used to go tap to Exeter to dances, didn't she?" |
