Chapter 10
The next night James arrived at the library with a smile. Every night he was arriving with a smile. Sarah wanted to think she was the reason for his happiness, though she wasn’t sure. He hadn’t said so in words. But James said a lot without words. He could be so quiet at times, content merely being there. Sometimes, when Sarah was working, checking the databases or helping students or professors, James would sit nearby and watch her. He didn’t pretend to have a task at the computer. He didn’t pretend to correct papers. He watched her and he didn’t seem to mind if everyone saw him.
A week later at closing time he found her near the librarians’ desk and presented her with a book, a well-kept older edition from days when bookbinding was an art. She turned it over in her hands, fe
