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Whenever Marilyn sees the Pepsi cooler she is reminded of those days. Just married. No worries about skin cancer or lung cancer. No one had varicose veins. No one talked about cholesterol. None of their friends were addicted to anything other than the sun and the desire to get up on one ski - to sl…

There are some nights when Sid is dozing there that she feels frightened. She puts her hand on his chest to feel his heart. She puts her cheek close to his mouth to feel the breath. She did the same to Sally and Tom when they were children, especially with Tom, who came first. She was up and down a…

"Okay, Mom?" She jumps with her daughter's voice, once again filled with the noise at the other end of the phone - a house full of children, a television blasting, whines about homework - all those noises you complain about for years only to wake one day and realize you would sell your soul to go b…

One of the baby's cries seemed to get stuck in his throat, and to release it the baby raised a fist and punched the air, and finally the cry came free. How does a man start over with nothing? Horace thought. Elaine came near to him, and the baby still watched him as his crying lessened. How does a …

"I haven't just been hanging around, you know," she said defiantly.

"I only want to speak to you."

"You want! You have to think about what other people want once a year!"

"Jean, please ..." He dropped the bone on the table.

In a suddenly impetuous rush, she said, "It was so silly what I…