“He misses you, pines for you, has returned to wetting his bed every now and then,” she said on the phone week after she and Brons left. “When are you coming back? We both need and miss you. My bed wants you. The whole house is groaning for your return. Just skip out on the future rent and let them follow you to California if they’d ever do that,” and he said “Can’t do, it wouldn’t be right. If I come, then I first pay them what I owe,” and she said “Dummy, nobody in New York would and the landlord knows and expects that.” She wants him, he thought, so she can have someone pay the bills. Maybe in three months, just so he can save some money from substitute teaching every day and also to give him time to get someone to take over his lease.
