Chapter 46

“What’s wrong, honey? Long day at work?” she asked.

I nodded, delaying the need for immediate conversation. I still didn’t know what to say.

“Let me try to cheer you up, then by telling you about the opera I went to last night. The Tales of Hoffman.It’s one of my favorites. I will have to take you sometime. It’s all in French, as the composer was a Frenchman. It takes place in a bar as Hoffman, who was an author in real life, recounts several of his misadventures. There’s a very funny scene where he actually falls in love with a mechanical doll. It’s hilarious. One of the best scenes in opera, I think.”

I wasn’t listening. I was still trying to think of what to say. When she stopped to take a breath, I asked, “Who did you go with?”

“Excuse me? Oh, who did I go with? Jean Claude has two season tickets. He always asks me to accompany him. It’s a free ticket to the opera, good seats I might add, so how can I refuse?”