She awoke snuggled against Patrick's back. She reached around and began
to caress him. He was inside her before he was fully awake. She held
him tightly, and as she began to peak she begged him not to stop. She
was driving the train, and Patrick responded. "Baby," she called.
"Ohhhh." She opened like an exploding flower. Another orgasm rolled
through her, and then another and another. Completions. Irreversible.
She cried in wonder and fell back as he came, adding to the warm flood
in which she floated.

Some time later, she said, "The Big Bang Theory? I get it." Patrick
rolled out of bed and dressed.

"I've got to go, Willow," he said.

She wanted him to stay. She wanted to make a good breakfast for them.
She wanted to talk with him for hours, but a deeper voice, surprising
her, said, "Bye, Patrick." He looked at her intently for a moment.
"Bye, Patrick," she repeated softly.

7

Patrick took a quick step and kicked a pebble into the woods along
AhnRee's driveway. It would be fun to practice corner kicks again.
Willow was intense. Nice, too. Dynamite in bed. Who would have thought
it? He blasted another pebble between two trees. Goal! It was going to
be hot later. Breakfast in the News Shop would be a good thing. Coffee.
A fried egg sandwich. Willow's legs wrapped around him, and he relaxed
for a moment remembering her hair against his cheek and over his
shoulders where she had covered him. He felt a new sweetness inside.
His head swam. "Too much," he said to the fans in the woods and ran
twenty yards to wake up.

Billy Jakes slapped him on the back in the News Shop. "Long night, huh
Patrick?"

"Long night, Billy." Just as well he didn't have to work today. He took
a bite of his fried egg sandwich and thought about the first people and
the view from Mead's Meadow. The green of the mountains was so fresh,
empty as one of the new canvases stacked against Hendrik's studio wall.
The first people had done well, really; they deserved a celebration. It
was a righteous Fourth. Martin was there at first. Where had he gone?
Patrick wanted to know more about him. The music was great. And then
those cops--they were really the losers, the ones left out or behind.
Why did that have to be?

"Officer Allen, ha, ha, ha." Patrick turned and saw Billy put an arm
around one of the cops who had been on the mountain, the larger one.
"Gotta smoke? I'm innocent."

"Jesus, Billy. Here, Goddamn it."

"Obliged, Allen. I t