The first was a man arrested for trying to run across the White House lawns with what appeared to be a gun, but was later discovered to be a piece of Kentucky fried chicken. He had told the police, “I just wanted to share my lunch with the President. He said he wanted to be a people’s President didn’t he?” The second was the annual visit from the Romero Traveling Circus, which came a week early because of a cancelation at Silver Spring, Maryland. It was still strangely warm for the time of year, and when Gene drove down the freeway on his way to work he kept the driving window of his car open. The big top was pitched out by the cloverleaf not far from the Merriain turnoff, and Gene could see the flags and the sideshows and the animal cages, and catch a waft of that distinctive smell of sawdust and cotton-candy and lions’ urine. At the office, Maggie knew that something had subtly altered in Gene’s relationship to Lorie, and she tried to be more sympathetic and supportive. She had gone back home and cried .the night that Gene had married Lorie, but now she saw herself as a friend and advisor to help him through the hard times of rehabilitating Lorie to live a completely human existence.
