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Show 113 an "i." The neighbors to the south were Rex and Paula Schoefield. Leah asked the Piersons and the Schoefields for the afternoon of July Fourth. "It's a coming out Pary," Leah said. It was noon. Hunt was listening. "I'm sorry," Paula Schoefield hesitated over the phone; "I'm not sure what you . . .?" "I'm being Eastern," Leah said. " I t ' s nothing. We just wanted to let our neighbors know - - you know, that we're here; and that we're just incredibly charming." Leah laughed. Paula Schoefield didn't laugh. "Whoops," Leah said, mostly to the steam rising from the coffee cup she held in her hand. She winked at Hunt. Hunt took i t to be a wink. "What I mean is - we've been meaning to have you over for a drink." "Oh. -Yes!" Paula Schoefield said. "That would be nice. Can I bring anything?" "Just yourselves," Leah said. This time Paula Schoefield laughed. "We'll look forward to it," she said, and they hung up. Andi Pierson, to the north, said, "We'll look forward to it," too. And even Leah looked forward in her own way; Hunt could see that - though he didn't say anything after the initial phone calls. He rose, almost always in good spirits, every morning, swam in the pool, suitless. "Dad's embarrassing!" one of their two boys almost always said; and the other almost always said, "Gross!" So Hunt swam daily, ate a breakfast of pineapple chunks, dried toast, black coffee, painted all day, played with the boys in the late afternoons, chattered and held Leah, loving her, in the evenings. He was losing weight, but he couldn't help the feeling that he was heavier, more and more substantial. Finally Leah said, "You are aware - aren't you, Hunt - that I did it? |