“No,” Fruma replied. “If anything, I want it contracted.”

And there it is—the trouble I have. The woman I’m married to. I didn’t want to include this story in my final collection. It certainly isn’t science fiction, I feel, not really. But Fruma said, “It’s a lovely story. Unappreciated.” (That’s an exact quote.)

So what could I do? I stuck it in. We’ve been married now for almost forty-four years, and I don’t know any other way to handle my problems with her.

Written 1966 / Published 1967