"Let's take a walk," I told John. We stepped out of my office; I locked the door and we descended the stairs out into the autumn night. Strolling through Glenwood's campus at night was a nostalgic favorite.

A huge grin broke out in John's face. "I always feel such a relief walking out to the warmth after I've been chilled indoors, breathing fresh air. It's like I've expanded my being, relieved of...

John leaned forward. "Do you think you put your love and trust in women who aren't Kaia because you can't trust her anymore, but you need people to share all that with? Maybe Marianna and Greta are just better at talking to you and listening, and that's all you're looking for."

I blinked. "That's a nice way to look at it."

Spreading out his hands, John said, "You tell this story like you're a con ...

I said, "You know me, John. I'm a sensitive person. I can't take a lot of conflict in my mind and in my heart. It stays with me. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I keep running arguments in my head over and over; it doesn't end. When I was fighting with Kaia, I ultimately moved out. I couldn't work when I was fighting, and if I didn't work, the kids couldn't eat."

"That sounds completely miserable," J...

I turned around to my desk and stared at the computer screen. Then I turned back to John and said: "You know how you still like me and respect me? Well, get ready to stop. Because here's the reason I'm so guilty and keeping secrets: I'm married and I have three kids."

"You are?" He asked.

"Yeah, I got married fifteen years ago." I said.

"Then what's all the stuff with the six other women?" Jo...

John asked me, "So what about you, man? No wife or partner, no kids, no situationship or throuple?" He grinned, mischievously.

I sighed. "Not exactly. I'm in love."

"See, I knew it." John chuckled. "You have love in your heart. You have so much to give, Deacon, I'm happy you found someone to share it with."

I nodded. "I'm in love with several women."

He cocked his head quizzically. "Say that a...

I sat back in my chair. "Well, thanks, John. You just made me feel a whole lot better. Tell me about your life - what brings you back here? Did you get married and have kids like we were all supposed to."

John laughed and put his hands behind his head, looking exactly like he did at twenty. "I'm alone most of the time. In most relationships, I reach a point where I feel like I'm being taken advan...

I walked up to John slowly, not believing my eyes. He had been my best friend all throughout college, and I hadn't seen or talked to him for twenty years. He looked like I remembered him, trim, tan, with wavy auburn hair. Only new crow's feet around his eyes and a dash of gray at his temples betrayed the passage of time.

I hug him tight, and on my hands down the sleeps of his suit coat, camel Wi...

I unlocked the door to my studio, flipped on the light, and settled myself into my worn out swivel chair at the computer desk. There was something nagging at me I wanted to track down.

When I was a student, I'd shot hundreds of hours of video, which was now uploaded to my hard drive. Some of it was for assignments, but the majority was my own work, creative ideas I'd had or homages to my favorite...

"Probably; I should take the case; I mean, the guy's crazy and he needs a good defense," Nelson answered, shutting his eyes tightly and shaking his head, as if he were cancelling out his words and refusing. He sighed. "If I can get him to plead guilty, he can stay off death row."

"So you think he did it?" I asked. "Freddy was crazy, but in a lighthearted, disorganized sort of way. Getting caught ...

I've had this argument going on inside my head for over a month now, steadily eroding any respect I had for Quinn. I needed a break, some way to change my thoughts, make some art like I used to. Take the anxiety and the frustration and create something beautiful.

I left my Dad's house and drove north, towards Glenwood College. I was an adjunct film studies professor there, and kept access to the ...