to know the trouble I'm having?" Joe asked. She looked
amused. "Writing," he added.

"Sure."

"I can't make the jump into fiction. I use something from real life,
and then, if I leave anything out, I feel like a liar--like I haven't
told the truth."

"Quilt," she said, looking across the gray water. "Patchwork quilt."

"What do you mean?"

"The story is the quilt. Made of patches: this person's face, that
person's love, a cat you knew . . . You make up the quilt--the
design--but the strength of it, its integrity, comes from the patches."
She finished her martini.

Joe's eyes opened wide. "I have to think about that."

"The quilt's the thing," she said offhandedly. "You have to care about
it." She swiveled her chair and held her arm in the air. "Another
round," she said. "On me."

He agreed and considered what she'd said. "A patchwork quilt. I can see
it. What do you do now? Are you writing?"

"Not much. I've been working on songs."

"Oh great," Joe said. "I wish I could play an instrument."

"I have a keyboard that I take with me."

"Take with you? Do you travel a lot?"

"I keep moving," she said. "Do you live in Seattle?"

"No, Hawaii."

"Long flight," she said.

"I love it there. Have you been?"

"Once. I stayed in the Royal Hawaiian. Sunsets. A woman in white, like
a queen, who sang ballads."

"Yeah, Emma--something, I can't remember. She's famous there. I live in
Honolulu, but I don't get to the Royal Hawaiian very often. Can't
afford it." Isabelle flicked a wrist dismissively. "You're not missing
much."

"You're right about the sunsets. Wonderful." They drank to Hawaiian
sunsets.

"So, Joe, you heading back soon?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, Isabelle." He was beginning to like her. "Come on
over; we'll have a drink and listen to the Queen sing _Aloha Oe. _" She
held his eye for a moment.

"Maybe I'll do that. I'm going to Banff next--for the music festival.
This is a nice time to be in the Canadian Rockies."

"You want something to eat?" he asked. They ordered two salads. Joe
switched to wine. Isabelle started laughing more. Apparently she had
all the money she needed to live in hotels, traveling slowly around a
familiar route. It seemed like an hour, but it was probably two hours
later when she pushed back from the table.

"Time to move," she said.

"Hey, it's been fun." He was letting go after the long weekend and was
sorry to see her leave. She smiled slightly.

"How about a night