Page 99 of Grown-Up Second Chance

“But you don’t have a camera.”

“I’m close.” I’d never gotten back to Jane. I’d invented a thousand excuses and then “forgot.”

“You should do it for yourself. Something to keep you occupied after he leaves.”

“I’ll be just fine after he goes,” I said. “We’re simply friends.”

Mason nodded and took a sip of his drink, something clear and bubbly in a red cup.

“Edsel’s having a great time,” I said.

“He always does. I think he has more fun than us mere humans. Something about no shame in asking for what he wants.”

“How is the fishing going?” I asked, putting down my phone and picking up my drink. A nice buzz about now would help me through the day.

“About the same as normal. It’s a good way to spend time by myself, contemplating what life is all about.”

“And, what is it all about?” I asked.

“The hokey-pokey, of course,” he replied with a grin.

“You’re bad.”

“You don’t expect someone to reveal their innermost thoughts on the meaning of life at a party, do you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve often heard long discourses on that very subject at parties.”

“And how much of that philosophy held water after the person sobered up?”

“Exactly.” I grinned. Mason was easy to be around. No wonder his wife had snapped him up.

Did she have to deal with ED?

I pushed the thought from my head.

“Remember what I said about life being too short,” he said.

“I do.”

“So what are you going to do about that young man over there?”

“Young?”

“It’s all perspective, my dear. From my ancient perspective of seventy-nine, you are both young. You just don’t know it.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Seventy-nine?”

“Every bit of it. Sometimes my body reminds me more than other times.”

“You don’t look it.”

“Thank you. But enough about me.” He reached down to lift his dog into his lap. “Where are you gals off to next?”

I told him about our plans to go to Jackson, then on to Moab to see the big parks there. We were quickly engaged in a discussion about the “must-see” portions of that vast landscape.

“While I envy those who have the energy to hike to the Delicate Arch, I found it amazing to stand at ground level, too. A nice camera with a good lens would allow you to capture the arch, as well as all the minute hikers arrayed beside it.”

I vowed to myself that tomorrow, no matter what, I’d get to the camera store and buy one.

---