"I do."

"You said it was nothing. What were you thinking-humble the little lady?"

"No, of course not."

Ali shook her head and stopped talking.

"What?" I asked.

"I let you get too close to him," she said.

I felt my heart nose-dive.

"Damn," she said.

I waited.

"For a wonderful guy who is usually so damn perceptive, you can be pretty obtuse sometimes."

"Maybe I shouldn't have gone after him, okay? But if you'd been there when he yelled at Jack to do it again, if you'd seen Jack's face…"

"I'm not talking about that."

I stopped, considered. "Then you're right. I am obtuse."

I'm six four, Ali a foot shorter. She stood close and looked way up at me. "I'm not going to Arizona to get Erin settled. Or at least not just for that. My parents live there. And his parents live there."

I knew who his referred to-her late husband, the ghost I've learned to accept and even, at times, embrace. The ghost never leaves. I'm not sure that he ever should, though there are times I wish he would and of course that's a horrible thing to think.

"They-I mean, both sets of grandparents-want us to move out there. So we can be near them. It makes sense when you think about it."

I nodded because I didn't know what else to do.

"Jack and Erin and, heck, me too, we need that."

"Need what?"

"Family. His parents need to be part of Jack's life. They can't handle the cold weather up here anymore. Do you understand that?"

"Of course I understand."

My words sounded funny in my own ears, as if someone else were saying them.

"My parents found a place they want us to look at," Ali said. "It's in the same condo development as theirs."

"Condos are nice," I said, babbling. "Low maintenance. You pay that one monthly fee and that's it, right?"