I sit silent for a long time as I ponder everythiher had told me. On a rational level I uood what she was trying to tell me. But my heart was not as easily vinced as my braiher does not rush me. Sitting tight to my side she keeps her arm around me and watches me closely.

  At st I say. “I don’t want to let go either.” I look to her. “Tell me what to do, Heather.”

  Puttiher arm around me she hugs me. “Be strong when I am weak. I ’t do this on my own. We have to be strong together. Okay?”

  “Together.”

  “That’s right, baby.”

  “No more honey.”

  “Yes! Good boy.”

  “No, um, falling in love.”

  “You’ve got it.” She kisses my cheek. “There are many types of love. The love between friends. The love between family. The love between a couple of lost souls. But being in love is something else entirely.” Laying her hand over my heart she gently rubs. “Protect this, Elliot. Do not let me steal it from you. Save it for the woman who deserves you.”

  “Hm.” I pause for another long moment before asking. “I stay for a little longer?”

  “As long as we’re careful.”

  “And we keep being friends?”

  She ruffles my hair then smooths it back out again. “Maybe even friends with special bes. As long as we’re VERY careful.”

  “I’d like that, Heather. I would like that a lot.”

  Turning my face toward her she looks into my eyes. “I am not going to abandon you, Elliot. Okay? Not if I help it. But I do o protect you. Do you uand?”

  “I think so.” I say. “Are you really, um, going to start dating again?”

  “I don’t know.” She sighs and sits back to look out over the park. “It would make things so much easier. Between you and I. Another honey boy would weaken the chemical boween us. It would dampen this…powerful…attra I have for you. And if I bonded, well, then we wouldn’t have to be careful anymore. Our friendship could be whatever we wa to be.”

  I take a deep breath to bolster myself before saying the words that cut me to the soul. “I think you should do it.”

  “Elliot?”

  “I think you should see Myles. He’s a kind man. He’s a good man. He would treat you hink.” I nod, telling myself that this was the right thing even though it felt so, s inside. “If you like him…you should bond with him.” I fsh her a false smile. “He’ll make you happy. Your kids won’t be angry with you. And we stay friends forever.”

  Clutg my arm to her side she leans into me and ys her head on my shoulder. “There’s that strength I was talking about.”

  “You deserve a man who look after you as good you’ve looked after me.” I say. “I want you to be happy, Heather. You deserve to be happy.”

  “And so do you, my handsome man.” She sits up straight again. “Remember that artist I told you about?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well…” Heather’s voice catches ihroat and I see, just for an instant, a fsh of pain twinges across her face. As fast as it was there it was gone again, repced by her naturally cordial smile. “…she’s about ye. She’s o town. She seems nice. She’s single. And she’s verrrry pretty!”

  “Oh! Um…”

  “I know. I know.” She says. “You’ve just broken up with Bir. I’m not suggesting anything serious. I got the sense from her that she’s not really ‘into’ serious retionships. But maybe a quick rebound fling might be just the thing to get that manly fidence of yours flying high again. Put the swagger ba your step.”

  “I, er, I don’t know about that.”

  “Well think about it.” She says, patting my knee. “I py matchmaker with the best of them. With a guy as great as you it would be an easy sell. And it would put my heart at ease knowing that my boy…um, know that you were out there living to the fullest as well. If you ime after Bir I totally uand, but it might be fun?”

  “Bir doesn’t bother me.” I say. “I realize now that we greart a long time ago. I’m not even sure how close we ever were.” Slowly I nod as I start to appreciate the new paths opening up to me. This was smart. This was better. I would always have a crush on her after this but the reality was that Heather and I could never work out romantically. If I stayed strong though we could still be there for each other as lifelong friends, hopefully with those ‘special bes’, and that was far preferable to the alternative of separation. “I’ll…think about it. As long as you keep thinking about Myles.”

  “I guess that’s only fair.”

  I hold my hand out. “Deal?”

  She grins and takes it for a formal shake. “Deal.”

  With the mood lifted I could not help but raise a brow and quip. “Boy toy? Did you call me a boy toy?”

  Heather giggles and even blushes a little as she lightly sps my chest. “Don’t tease! I was in the moment!”

  “Typical woman. Always thinking with the other head.”

  “Elliot! Ha ha ha! Stop!”

  I chuckle and take her hand. Giving it a hard squeeze I say. “Everything is going to be okay, Heather. You’ll see.”

  Her ugher fades as she struck by my reassuring words. “Oh…Elliot!”

  Just then a bright red frisbee es skittering to a stop just five feet to the right of the bench. I get up and pick the disc up off the ground. Turning around I see that same group of friends to whom I’d tossed it back to yesterday. “You coulda hit us!”

  “Sorry dude!” The one says. I snap it back his way, the frisbee sailing in a perfect level line from me to him. He snatches it from the air. “hrow! Hey, wanna join us?”

  That ‘errant’ throw he bench had been no mistake. It was an excuse to invite me in. I must have caught their attentioerday. “Sorry.” I say. “I ’t…”

  “Go.” Heather says with a smile.

  “Huh?”

  “Go!” She says again, more insistently.

  L my voice I whisper. “But, um, you said that I might be able to watch you…”

  She titters and waves me away. “Later! Have fun with the boys.”

  My spirit rises. Despite our versation she hadn’t fotten about nor dehe possibility of me watg her pleasure herself. I guess that was entailed in those ‘special bes’ of ours. YES!

  “You sure?”

  “Yes!” She insists with anh. “Just be home by sundown.”

  Home. Boy I liked the way she said that.

  I shoot her a smile then jog off to join the group. After some quitrodus the five of us start zipping the disc between us. Within just a round or two I realize that these guys knew how to throw. Every toss was swift, strong and precise which forced me to really trate to keep up with them. When I ent on their skills I learn that the group weren’t just buddies passing time but a group of friends united by their love of disc sports. It quickly bees apparent in their snappy throws, acrobatic catches and curious bahat they were gauging my ability and i in their hobby.

  They seemed a genuinely good group of guys and I warm to their easy camaraderie. Despite being stiff from work and terribly soft from years of sedentary lifestyle I actually mao keep up with them pretty well. With Heather just thirty yards away watg me I wasn’t about to let them show me up too bad. I even start joining in on the behind the back throws and diving catches. The way she watched me, even during my fumbles, made me feel like a superstar. Every ce I got I shot her a grin and received one iurn. Not uhose cheering parents around the soccer fields she seemed to be having the time of her life just watg me at py.

  Before it got too awkward or obvious she rose and tinued her walk on her own.