Return to DC

"I know, but sometimes I regret your thinking with your own mind."

Silence, a companionable one.

"He seems like a good guy, Miriam."

Miriam patted her mother's hands. "He still has his dead wife's clothing in his house. I refuse to compete with a ghost. Besides, he hasn't told me he even cares about me."

"Men, never think to say that," Florence explained. "You have to draw it out of them."

"But I'm not sure how I feel about him. I never wanted to get involved with a cop again."

"He's not a cop. He's a retired FBI agent."

"Same mentality, mother. They have to save the world and their families be damned." Miriam rubbed her eyes, while reaching for the milk. Taking long sips, she finished the drink in a few minutes.

"Maybe he's different," Florence suggested.

"What did you two talk about when he arrived?"

"Nothing really, I just asked a few key questions. He seemed pretty forthright with his answers."