climbing up that hill

Leo knew nothing of Henry these days. He'd cut him off. Completely. And Leo wasn't one to beg.

Garvin wanted to talk to him about the Spring Fashion show coming up in Omaha, but Leo wasn't really listening. (There at Oliver's, where they were talking over coffee.)

"I don't know why I ever let myself fall in love, anyway." Leo thought of himself before Henry. Of course, he'd always felt like an outsider. Even at home, but at least he enjoyed his solitude of being alone. It wasn't like that, anymore.

No, he was constantly thinking about what he did wrong. Where had it all gone wrong? But with so many questions, he knew there were no really good answers..he even wanted to accept it yet couldn't.

"I think you should just focus on this fashion show. Get through it. Maybe, Henry just needs some time. He could change his mind." Garvin was being far too optimistic. "OK, I know you won't think its true now, but he's only your first love. Not your last love." Garvin looked at him blankly.

"Well..how did you handle it?" Leo looked at him as if he really needed to know.

"Oh..I guess it was all wrong. I just asked somebody else out. Went to parties." Garvin shrugged, as if it had been easy to bounce back. "But then, I don't guess I was in love...like you. I mean, I knew she made me happy. And..and I did want to please her. We were just school mates, and she didn't like to eat..I realized. So we went on all these dates where we would order food and look at it. God, talk about being ravished after a night with her. I couldn't wait to get fish and chips. It did take me a while to figure out, she wanted someone older who could take care of her."

"I thought I could take care of Henry." Leo then squinted as if he'd somehow let Henry down.

"Well, you have to take care of you." Garvin informed him. "Now did, you, tell your folks about this local fashion show?"

Leo shook his head, no.