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who became convinced that I had a thing for this girl in our art history class who had these red streaks in her hair. She offered to dye her hair the same way if I’d keep going out with her.”
    “Impressive.” Marienne nodded. “Clearly this must have been after you ‘got better’.”
    “Clearly.”
    “And the girl with the red streaks, were you into her?”
    “No,” Daniel said. “That’s what made the offer even more bizarre.”
    “So, your girlfriend really didn’t know you at all.”
    “I guess not. I never thought of it that way.”
    Marienne pointed to the playground. “Here we are.”
    Daniel hadn’t even realized they’d gotten to the park; he was too caught up in Marienne. The silver playground equipment glowed blue in the moonlight, and the sand beneath it shimmered, resembling the beach. He watched as she headed straight toward the dome-shaped monkey bars. Her dark hair gleamed as she passed beneath the swing set, turning to see if he was following.
    “Come on.” She motioned with her hand. The light reflected off her face as she smiled at him. He was incredibly drawn to her. So much that he paused before following her, thinking perhaps he shouldn’t. She was Frank’s wife, he was Justine’s husband…and she’s just a friend. He watched as she stepped up two rungs then turned and lay back against the bars. He walked past her, careful not to knock over the Coke can she’d planted in the sand, and climbed up to join her.
    It was the clearest night he could recall in ages. “Wow. That’s fantastic.”
    “See? And you thought I was crazy to be coming to the park at night.”
    “No.” He corrected her. “I thought it was crazy for you to be coming to the park at night alone. Not even crazy, just risky. Does Frank ever come with you?” Daniel tried very hard to remind himself again that she was Frank’s wife.
    She laughed. “Uhhh, no. Frank isn’t a hang-out-in-the-park, look-at-the-stars kind of guy.”
    Daniel could see that. Frank was pretty tightly wound and very driven. It wasn’t hard to imagine that he would think stargazing was wasted time.
    “I’m sure he worries about you coming here alone.”
    Marienne smiled, looking rueful. “Frank isn’t much of a worrier. I’m not sure he even knows. He works late or comes home exhausted and heads to bed. Either way I’m the night owl who’s prone to late-night adventures.”
    “Sounds like our house.” Daniel craned his neck to follow the arc of the Big Dipper. “Justine always goes to bed much earlier than I do. I’ve had insomnia since I was a kid, so I’ll stay up and read or write. Sometimes I even head to the park.”
    “Ah-ha. So, it’s okay for you, but not for me?”
    “Well, not to be sexist, but I’m far larger than you, not to mention much less appealing to men.”
    “Don’t underestimate yourself.”
    Daniel chuckled. “Point taken, the park is not the best place for anyone to be alone.”
    “Agreed,” she said. “I promise, I’ll think twice next time.”
    “Or bring me with you.” He hoped that hadn’t come out wrong.
    “Or bring you with me,” she said, much to his relief.
    They gazed at the stars, debating whether the flashing lights crossing the sky were an airplane, a blimp, or a UFO, and laughing as they argued over which direction the Little Dipper was from the Big Dipper. Finally Daniel stretched, shifting his position, and sat up.
    “We better get going,” Marienne said. “I can’t even imagine what time it is.”
    Daniel stepped off the bars and Marienne attempted to do the same. She stumbled, and he caught her mid-fall.
    “Whoa,” he said. “You okay?”
    “Foot’s asleep.” She gave a nervous laugh and looked down, rotating her right ankle. He waited for her to sit back against the metal bars before he let go.
    “I hate that,” he said. “Happened to me during a job interview. I was so nervous I didn’t realize I hadn’t shifted my position once the entire time we