（ still a sore spot, then. gene sucks his teeth an' takes another idle drink of his beer to give himself a moment — but she's a kid, an' he ain't about to hang her out for it. he ain't strictly comfortable tellin' near strangers about the intricacies of his own life, but he's comfortable enough with who he is that he can set the concerns of the former aside. the greater sin by far would be to let her sit there thinkin' he's in judgement of her. ）

Had a fella in the war myself, an' a gal before that. Weren't no word for it in my time, but, ah... been here long enough to learn otherwise.

（ he even met up with anna a few years back. still as sweet as ever, though she's married now to that navy boy she met after him. the red of her hair as bright as any flame an' replicated now on three little daughters he'd smiled fondly to see. ）