Chapter 82: Thudding Hearts.

Andrew and I took the boys out for our daily walk around Holland Park. It is already afternoon in late April. He solemnly reported that last night, over oysters at Spiro, he ended things with Capucine.

I suddenly felt this rush of excitement and opportunity, and I also felt this uneasiness between us. Our last obstacle is no more, but now what?

I laughed nervously. "Kind of weird to dump someone over oysters, isn't it?" I said in a teasing tone.

"Well," Andrew said, his eyes focused on the path ahead of us. "I'm not always the coolest guy . . . as you well know."

His "as you well know" seems like it is loaded with meaning and this for a fact, made me more anxious. I rambled about how one shouldn't eat oysters in months containing the letter *r*.

"We had rock oysters—fins de clair—which you can eat year-round. But thanks so much for your concern," he said, yawning with feigned nonchalance.

"Anytime," I said, as we strolled around the top of the Cricket Lawn.

"How do you feel?" I as