第2章逝去的爱FirstLove（2）
Atanyrate，myloveforRachelremaied。Wegraduatedfromhighschool，shewentontodIjoiheArmy。arIIengulfedus，Iwassentoverseas。Foratimeweded，aerswerethehighlightofth，endlessyears。Omeasnapshotofherselfinabathingsuit，whietothewildestoffaiohepossibilityeier，andalmostimmediatelyherrepliesbecamelessfrequent，lesspersonal。
&hingIdidwheotheStateswastoRachel。Hermotherahedoor。Raolohere。Shehadmarriedameditshe’dmetihoughtshewroteyou。”hermothersaid。
Her“DearJoherfinallycaughtupasawaitingdischarge。Shegentlyexplaiheimpossibilityebetweenus。Lookingbausthaverecoveredratherquickly，althoughforthefirstfewmonthsIbelievedIdidn’twanttolive。LikeRaeoneelse，whomIlearoloveamentthathaslastedtothisday。Theeranintervalofmorethan40years，Iheardfrain。Herhusbandhaddied。Sheassingthroughtownandhadlearnedofmywhereabhamutualfrieomeet。Ifeltbothdexthelastfewyears，Ihadn’tthoughtabouther，andhersuddenhadtakeheactualsightofherwasashock。Thiswhite-hairedmatroauraheRaydreamsahesupplemermaidofthatsimehadgivenusaonrefere。Wetalkedasoldfriends，andquicklydiscoveredwewerebothgras。“Doyourememberthis?”Shehandedmeaslipofer。ItoemI’dwrittenherwhilestillinsihecrudemeterandpallidrhymes。Watgmyfaatchedthepoemfrommeaoherpurse，asthoughfearfulIwasgoi。Itoldheraboutthesnapshot，howI’dcarrieditallthroughthe>
“Itwouldn’thaveworkedout，youknow。”shesaid。“Howyoubesure?”Itered。“Ah，，itmighthavebeengrandindeed—myIrishdyuilt!”hterstartledpeopleataable。Duriimelefttlaive，oblique。Ithinkthatiherrepudiatedwhatwe’dooourselves，weimmortals。BeforeIputherintoataxi，sheturwaoseeyouoellyousomethimiedtothankylovedmeasyoudid。”Wekissed，a。Fromastorewiiome，anagingman，withgrayhairstirredbyaneveningbreeze。Idee。Herkissstillburnedonmylips。Ifeltfaint，andsatonaparkbenethegrassandtreeswereshininginthesurrealglowofsuhiedoutofme。Somethied，andthesewassobeautifulthatIwaoshoutanddangforjoy。Thatsoonpassed，aseverythingmust，alyIwasabletostandandstartforhome。