She watched him and her heart slammed against itself like a swallow not seeing glass and shattering. “Who do you need to talk to, baby?” he said. “I’m right here. Talk to me. I’m all you need.”“What’s there to talk about, right?” she said, leaning over him to cradle his face in the crook of her arm. He allowed himself to be smothered, and then wrested free to continue playing his harmonica. The singing answer to everything was apparently in the jungles wet with rain.She told Kai about Stanley and Jonny. He said nothing. He listened, but inscrutably, and after she was done, he clucked his lips, opened his hands with an oh well, what are ya gonna do gesture and shrugged. “What are you looking at me like that for?” he said. “It’s not us.”“Well, yes. First of all, you’re not three hundred pounds.”“Not yet. But—more important—you’re not coming to tell me your husband threw you out, and you’re here to stay.” Steadily he gazed at her. “Exactly. So why have a hypothetical conversation about bullshit?
