It had grown dark gradually, and Alison had her wish to look at city lights. Honolulu lies on a narrow plain between the mountains and the Pacific. Sharp ridges descend toward the water. The ridge faces have been developed; at night they are like jeweled fingers, reaching high, separated by vast darknesses. "Beautiful." Joe swept his hand toward the window. "Even nicer than I hoped," Alison said. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Joe." "I'm not embarrassed. It seems like a waste, that's all." "That's sweet." They had coffee and took a cab to her apartment, not far from the university. "Was it so bad being normal?" she asked. "No," he admitted. She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek. He felt like Uncle, thanked for a birthday present. "There," she said and got out. "Night, Joe." "Goodnight, Alison." The cab driver remained silent. "Oh, yeah," Joe said. "Liholiho Street." 8 The young beauty with the makeup was not at the Wailana the next morning. Joe ate a waffle and stared across the counter at the seat where she had been. As he reached for his notebook, he realized why she was sad. She was a perfect twenty-two, frozen in time; she would never be younger, more beautiful, or more beautifully made up to answer a man's fantasy. And it wasn't enough. We must begin again, he said to himself, identifying with her--begin again without shame. Sometimes you have to start over, even go backwards, in order to go forward in a different direction. He wrote the words down and nodded. It was a poem. He imagined someone reading his words, someone he didn't know. It was a good feeling. Lost mail--that's what a poem is, he decided. He made up his mind to submit it to the university literary publication. He had tried before to be published, without success, but he'd not put much effort into it. He'd written for himself, really. He walked home, prepared the lost mail, and left a message for Mo, "Let's have lunch." An e-mail from Kate was waiting for him. "Dad, the big step! Jackson and I have decided to get married. We've rented a house on San Juan Island to be a central gathering place, the week of Sept. 14-21. The ceremony will be Saturday, outside at the county park, followed by a dinner at the yacht club. I'm hoping everyone will come--Mom, of course, and Ingrid and Maxie. The island is beautiful. I'm making a packet with maps, ferry schedules, and info on places to stay. More later. I wanted to tell you right away. Love, Kate." "Big news, Batman!" It was a good marriage, but nothing would ever be the same. Sally and Ingrid on the same island? Yikes. He didn't have anything to wear.