I like it when I can't see out these windows

Neither spoke during the taxi ride to Marla's apartment. Usually, Marla was a veritable chatterbox when she was in a car. This day she sat behind the driver and stared out the rear passenger window with listless eyes. When they were on the street in front of her apartment, he asked if she intended to be miserable all evening. She looked up at her building, winced, and said, "This is my palace of loneliness."

"Get upstairs and take a long hot bath. I will cook dinner for you."

"Will you make eggs and tomatoes for me?"

"Your wish is my command. Now get upstairs. I am going to walk around the block a few times and smoke a cigarette or two as I make the last business calls of the week."

"Please come up now. I hate being alone here. Please come up as soon as you can. The spare bedroom is still as you left it. All the clothes you have here are washed and folded."

"So, you are saying I have my bedroom here?"

"There will always be a bedroom in my house for you."

"I promise I will have your dinner ready by the time you are out of your bath. Now get upstairs and take a long, hot bath. I need to make two important calls. Then you will have my undivided attention all weekend."

Dressed in her New York Mets jersey and New York Yankees athletic slacks, Marla curled up on a couch in the den and ate her dinner. When Marla was in a funk, she wore her Mets jersey. She sat quietly, eating her dinner as he straightened up the den Marla had for too long neglected. For years Marla had set out fresh-cut flowers daily. This was not something she did mindlessly. She had the habit of and took great joy in explaining why she was putting individual flowers out each evening. "These flowers are perfect for rainy days," "These flowers are great when the air is crisp." He noticed the vases in the den did not have water and were covered with dust. It was not a challenge to see the trashcans filled with empty wine bottles. He did not say anything as he went about tidying up the room as Marla ate her dinner.

When confronted with truths she did not wish to hear, Marla's response was to lash out. She would then deflect, shout unrelated answers, and then, as she would call it, "shut down." Marla was never shy about childishly whining "I shut down" when others interjected truths she did not wish to hear. His goal was not to agitate her; it was to engage with her. As such, he did not mention her wastebaskets filled with empty wine bottles. Marla continued sitting in silence as she finished her dinner. He wanted to say something that would let her know he was aware she had been drinking too often. He needed to make that delivery without having her storm away.

"Give me your empty plates. I need to go downstairs to put this bag of empty wine bottles in the kitchen garbage container. I will be back after I have washed your dishes.

"Yes, it has been a while since I cleaned this room."

"Do you want me to bring up dessert?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want red or white?"

"What?"

"What do you want for dessert, red wine or white wine? Come on, let us at least be honest with each other. I am standing here with a plastic bag that has at least a dozen wine bottles. And please, let us not go down your standard "I shut down" road of childishness. That is beneath you."

Marla turned her face away as she tilted back her head. About a minute later, she replied.

"It helps me sleep. It keeps the loneliness away."

"I understand, Princess, but I am here now. You are not alone. I need to get rid of these bottles. They reek. Relax, I will be back up in a bit with dessert."

"Red."

"How about red cookies?"

"Please, I need it."

"Okay, but one glass, I am not giving you a bottle."

Tommaso returned to the second floor to find Marla standing at the window, staring out at the rainy evening. He stood in the doorway, waiting for her to turn around. Minutes passed as Marla remained in front of the window. She broke the silence by saying, "Are you coming in the room, or are you going to remain in the doorway?" The conversation continued as both maintained their positions.

"Marla, there is something about you standing in front of a window."

"What?"

"Here is your wine. Remember, you are getting only one glass."

"I am lonely here at night. You are not here and.."

"I am here now."

"At night, the loneliness swarms over me. Are you coming in the room, or are you going to stand in the doorway all evening?"

"The déjà vu has my feet glued to the floor."

"What?"

"Nothing. Take your wine."

Marla slowly turned to face him. Her face was in the shadow under the bill of her baseball cap. Behind her, the rain battered the window. The battering storm spread raindrops across the panes, obscuring any view of the city in the distance. For that moment, he could have been in any place on earth. All that mattered to him was he was in the same room as Marla.

"Marla, the rain is getting worse. I can't see the city out there."

"I like it. When I can't see out these windows, I can imagine any place is outside."

"Such as?"

"Milan. Milan is calling to my heart."

"Is Milan calling, or is it that Franca is there? It is going to rain all night. It should be a nice day tomorrow. Do you want to do something?"

"Will you go museum hopping with me?"

"If that is what you want to do, I will do it with you. I will do whatever you want to do".

"Where will we go, Tommaso?"

"This is Paris. If you can't find a museum, you can't find sand on a beach. Why don't you go to bed? I know it is early. Maybe what you need is a good night of sleep."

"Will you talk with me until I fall asleep?"

"Don't I always?"