The Husband Hour(81)

“I need your word that you’re not going to make him look bad,” she said.

“Lauren, Rory doesn’t look bad. He looks human. And I know you want the world to remember the man you loved, not some myth. The real Rory—and what happened to him—is a more important story than some fake example of perfect valor that doesn’t help anyone. You knew Rory’s flaws but still loved him, right?”

“Yes,” she said. “Of course.”

“Then you have to trust that the world will too.”





Chapter Forty-Two



Beth tried to juggle too many grocery bags and dropped the carton of heavy cream onto the driveway. She picked it up and inspected it to be sure that it hadn’t split open. The last thing she needed was to have to go back to Casel’s and stand in line again. All she wanted was to start baking, to experiment with the best possible doughnut varieties for Nora’s party.

The opportunity felt overwhelming. For years, she barely baked. Now she’d just dipped her toe back in and made doughnuts for fun, and suddenly she had a party to cater. Humming with excitement, she rearranged her shopping bags. That’s when she noticed Howard’s car.

What on earth? Had she missed a call from him? A message that he was coming back?

She walked around to the back of the house.

Someone had left the pool area in disarray—wet towels were everywhere, noodles still floated in the deep end, and there were soda cans on the table. She hurried into the kitchen, closed the door behind her, and was greeted only by the silence of the house.

“Hello?” she called.

“Up here!” Lauren yelled from the second floor.

She climbed the stairs. Lauren’s bedroom door was open, and she peeked in to find her looking through one of the big moving boxes she had brought down from the attic.

“Hon? Have you seen your father?”

Lauren looked up. “Yeah. He showed up like twenty minutes ago. Did you know he was coming back today?”

Beth, not wanting to admit how little they had communicated, said only “Where did he go?”

“To the beach. I think to see Stephanie.”



Matt met Craig at Sack O’ Subs. That had been Craig’s request; a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, Craig was familiar with the Philly–Jersey Shore connection and the regional obsession with cheesesteaks.

They sat at a booth near the back and ate potato chips while they waited for their sandwiches.

“I have to say, the interviews are more than I’d hoped for,” Craig said. “Lauren doesn’t just confirm your thesis, she adds a depth of humanity to the whole thing. I feel the loss of Rory emotionally, not just intellectually.”

Matt nodded. “I’m glad you feel that way.”

The waitress arrived with their cheesesteaks on paper plates.

“These alone are worth the trip,” Craig said. His steak was topped with provolone, onions, and sweet peppers. “It’s the bread that makes it. And they can’t duplicate this in New York because of the water.”

“Didn’t know that,” Matt said, distracted.

He wrestled with the issue of whether to show Craig the footage of Stephanie. A part of him felt he should hold back. Maybe the Stephanie angle wasn’t a place he wanted to go with the film. However, he wasn’t in a position to play it safe.

“Craig, there’s some footage I’ve been grappling with. I didn’t use it in the cut I e-mailed you. It’s relevant from a character perspective, showing Rory’s personal weakness in contrast to his public accomplishment. But it sends the narrative of the film maybe too far in one direction.”

Craig pushed his plate aside. “Well, now you’ve got me curious! Let’s take these to go.”

When they arrived at the house, Henny greeted them in the driveway.

“Matt, I’ve been calling you.” Her smock and left cheek were smudged with turquoise paint. “Oh, a friend! Hello there,” she said to Craig. “Henriette Boutine. I’d shake your hand but…”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Boutine. This your place?”

“It is! Matt, sorry to interrupt, but I have a new renter coming at the end of the week if you’re certain you’re leaving.”

“Yes,” Matt said. “I’ll be out tomorrow. Is that enough time for you?”

“Of course! I don’t mean to shove you out the door.”

“Not a problem, Henny.”

Craig followed him up the stairs. “Do you need more time here?”

“You tell me,” Matt said, letting him into his room.

Craig scanned Matt’s index cards while Matt booted up the computer and opened the file of Stephanie’s most recent interview.

“Just grab that bench over there…yeah, drag it over here and we can share it.”

Side by side, they watched the footage of Stephanie, nervous and emotional, answering Matt’s questions. When it was over, Matt turned to Craig.

“What do you think?”

Craig drummed his fingers on the desk. “There’s no question you have to use it.”

Matt had been afraid he’d say that.

You knew Rory’s flaws but still loved him, right? Then you have to trust that the world will too.