"It wouldn' t have worked out， you know." she said.
"How can you be sure？" I countered. "Ah， colleen， it might have been grand indeed—my Irish conscience and your Jewish guilt！"
Our laughter startled people at a nearby table. During the time left to us， our glances were furtive， oblique. I think that what we saw in each other repudiated what we' d once been to ourselves， we immortals.
Before I put her into a taxi， she turned to me. "I just wanted to see you once more. To tell you something." Her eyes met mine."I wanted to thank you for having loved me as you did. " We kissed， and she left.
From a store window my reflection stared back at me， an aging man， with gray hair stirred by an evening breeze. I decided to walk home. Her kiss still burned on my lips. I felt faint， and sat on a park bench. All around me the grass and trees were shining in the surreal glow of sunset. Something was being lifted out of me. Something had been completed， and the scene before me was so beautiful that I wanted to shout and dance and sing for joy.
That soon passed， as everything must， and presently I was able to stand and start for home.
我记得，当时的阳光洒落在她的发丝上。她转过头，我们四目相对，在那间吵闹的五年级教室里，我感觉到了一些东西，觉得心底遭到了一击。我的初恋就此开始了。
她叫雷切尔，我从小学到中学一直很迷恋她，看到她，我的心就怦怦地跳，有她在时，我说话就有些结巴。我就像夏日里一只不幸的小昆虫，被一扇窗前微弱的灯光吸引，在黑暗的夜晚徘徊在她的窗前。
当看到她上学或是放学回家，走在林荫小路上时，我整个人就呆住了，她看起来总是那么镇定自若。在家时，我回想着与她的每一次邂逅，一想到自己的不足之处便心生懊恼。即便如此，当我们正值青春年少时，我仍然感受到她对我深情的宽容。