Summary

Julie and Ralph's meeting continues in her car. Ralph remembers how confident and mature Julie was as a teenager and how he had planned to win her over by going to university. That plan went a different course, with him meeting Sadie and having twins by age 20. A stop at the house of Julie’s father ends with Ralph playing 'Little Boxes' on the guitar. Julie sings along. Ralph feels regenerated by Julie's voice, still as great as he remembers it years ago. The two continue to the beach, where they discuss the way that life does not turn out the way you expect it will. Julie leads the discussion to Sadie, a topic that Ralph pushes away vocally. He goes from feeling invigorated to feeling "interrogated" (294) when Julie asks more and makes judgments as to Sadie's personality.

Ralph thinks back to the...