You go first.

“Okay.” Andie took the first thought that came to mind. “The one Valentine’s Day we were together, he brought me a heart-shaped Valentine’s Day box full of potstickers because he knew I liked those better than candy.” She remembered him handing her roses and the box with a completely straight face and then breaking into one of his rare smiles when she opened the box and said, “Potstickers!”, delighted beyond measure. And they’d finished them off that night in bed, and she’d licked some spilled dipping sauce off his chest and-

Potstickers?

“Chinese dumplings.” Okay, they’d had some good moments, but it was over and done with. “Your turn.”

I’ve never had Chinese dumplings.

“That’s too bad, they’re great. It’s your turn.”

I took my turn. I’ve never had Chinese dumplings. The girl slid off the bed and did a pirouette in front of the window, her skirt moving in multiple dimensions, but not bothering Andie nearly as much this time.

“Fine,” Andie said. “I’ve never had squid.”

The girl stopped twirling. That’s not fair. Three things about North Archer.

“Okay. I’m fairly sure he has had squid.” North tried everything. He’d certainly tried everything with her anyway.

The girl put her hands on her hips. I want to know things about him, real things.

“Well, I want to know those about you, too.”

Okay, the girl said, not happy at all. Your turn.

“I took my turn. The second one is that he’s had squid. Your turn.”

We could not count that one.

She sounded like Alice, bargaining for more cookies.

“Then we’re back to you. I gave you a Valentine’s Day memory.”

Okay. The girl chewed on her lip. My favorite Valentine’s Day gift was a heart-shaped necklace set with little diamond chips that my boyfriend gave me.

“Boyfriend,” Andie said. “I do not remember this necklace, so again, you’re not me. Anybody I know?”

Your turn. She swished her skirt again, impatient.

“You’re not me.”

The girl pouted and somehow was even lovelier pouting, even transparent.

“Who are you?”

It’s your turn to tell me something.

“Okay.” Andie watched her move in the moonlight, seeing her skirt swish with her. “Is that a prom dress?”

Your turn.

“Okay.” Andie sat back a little to think. “We had to go to this big fancy party and I didn’t want to go because I was going to have to get dressed up in this little black dress his mother had bought for me and act like a wife, and the day of the party he came home and said, “Here’s your dress,” and when I opened the bag it was a long greeny-blue chiffon skirt with sequins on it and a turquoise sequined stretchy tank top. He said he saw it in a window on his way to a meeting and stopped to get it because it looked like me. And then I found out he was late to the meeting because of it. That was a big deal.” And she’d been really grateful, and they’d been late to the party-

I don’t get it. What’s wrong with a black dress? I think they’re sexy.

“North understood it. Is that a prom dress you’re wearing?”

Yes. The girl swished the skirt again. I was trying it on again when…

“When?” Andie prompted.

That was my turn. Yes, this was my prom dress. Your turn. And tell me something besides what he bought you. Unless it was diamonds.

“Okay. The one birthday I had during the year we were together, he forgot. No gift at all.”

Not even later?

“Yes, but later doesn’t count.” Now she sounded like Alice.

What did he get you later?

“Diamond earrings. Very tasteful.” She was pretty sure his secretary had picked them out, which made it so much worse. He’d never have bought those for her; if there was one thing she knew about North, it was that he knew her. Until he forgot her.

See, that’s better, diamonds.

“No. Better was his brother Southie who remembered and showed up on the day with a cake and these big green hoop earrings with bluebirds sitting in them. I still have those earrings.” She smiled to herself, remember Southie handing her the box and saying, “Bluebirds of happiness, Andie. They called your name.” Maybe he’d bought them because he’d known she wasn’t happy.

Well, you still have the diamonds, too.

“No.” Andie folded her arms over her chest. “I left them behind when I left. Your turn. Something about you.”

I would never leave behind diamonds, the girl said, and pirouetted once and was gone.

“Hello?” Andie said to the empty room, and waited a minute but the girl didn’t come back. “Damn.”

She lay back on her pillows and tried to figure out what the hell was happening.

You could have hallucinations about things you didn’t know about. Maybe the girl was a hallucination.

I’m hallucinating, Andie thought. I have a brain tumor or something.

No she didn’t. She just needed an explanation.

It’s a ghost.

No, that wasn’t it, either. It was probably her subconscious.

If it was, her subconscious had a thing for her ex-husband.

“That’s not it, either,” she said out loud. She was completely over North. Done.

And now she was hallucinating ghosts.

I need help, she thought, and was making plans when she fell asleep.

The next morning, Andie told Mrs. Crumb to watch the kids and went to Columbus to the Ohio State library, calling Will when she got into town to tell him she was there and could have dinner with him if he was available.

“If I’m available?” he said, laughing. “I haven’t seen you in three weeks. I’ll meet you at Max and Erma’s whenever you say.”

Max and Erma’s in German Village. That was two blocks from Flo’s place. She should stop and see Flo. Or not.

“Andie?”

“How about six? That’ll give me all afternoon at the library.” And put me on the road in time to get back to the kids. If they ate at six and she left at seven, she could be home by ten-thirty, too late to put them to bed, but-

“Can’t wait to see you, babe,” Will said.

“Me, too.” But it would be early enough she could get some sleep before Alice started demanding cereal-

“So are you going to see North?”

“What?”

“Are you going to see North while you’re in town?”

“No. Why would I see North?”

“Well, you’re in Columbus. So is North.”

“So is Flo, two blocks from Max and Erma’s, but I have to get back to the kids. I have time to see one person. You.”

“You’re not staying the night?”

“No. I have to get back to the kids.”

“Andie, it’s been almost a month,” Will said.

“What’s been… oh.”

“I’m a patient man, but-”

“Yes, you are, and I appreciate it,” Andie said. But I have to get back to the kids.

“-my patience is running out here. You won’t let me come down to see you and you won’t stay up here-”

“I know, I know. Look, we should talk about this because for a while here, the kids are going to come first. I know that’s not fair to you-”

“I haven’t even met the kids yet, give me a chance.”

“Honey, I’ll give you all the chances you want once I get them back to Columbus and settled in.”

“How much longer do you think it’ll be?”

“I don’t know. I’m hoping to get some help at the library. Can we talk about this at dinner? Because I really have to go.”

“Sure,” he said, but he didn’t sound happy, which was understandable. It had been almost a month for her, too.

Except it hadn’t. She hadn’t even thought about sleeping with Will. Maybe it was age. Except women were supposed to hit their peaks in their thirties.

Or maybe it was because she’d dreamt of making love with North almost every night since she’d gone south, that it was North she wanted even though she knew that the North she wanted was a fantasy.