Amanda shook her head a few times. She stopped crying and quickly wiped the tears from her face. "Joe," she said. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" I said. "What do you have to be sorry about? I made you act like that."
"No," she said. "I mean for not realizing what you did was an accident."
"So does this mean we're not through?" I asked carefully.
She smiled. "No," she said. "I don't want to be through." She sat back down on the couch next to me.
"Well that's good," I said. "Because I didn't want to be either." She put her head on my shoulder.
"So," she sniffled, still fighting off the induced tears apparently, "this ring will grant any wish you make?"
"As far as I can tell," I said. "I mean, you saw what happened to you."
"Yea," she chuckled. "Being naked on the street and then having a baby's mind wasn't that fun."
I nodded. "No, I can imagine not."
"Hey, wait," she said. She lifted her head off my shoulder and looked at me. "Just how good of a look did you get?"
"Uhh," I said. Shit, I thought. Now I'm in trouble. "Not a great deal," I said, which was actually true.
"Oh really?" she said, sounding unconvinced. "Then prove it. Do I have tan lines?"
I tried to remember if I saw any. "I don't know," I said.
"Then guess," she said.
"Umm, yes?" I asked.
She raised her hand as if she was about to slap me really hard across the face. And she did thrust her hand at me rather quickly. I flinched in preparation of the blow. But instead her hand touched my cheek softly and rubbed it. "Either you're lying to me, or you didn't really get a good look. But I don't think you'd lie to me at this point."
"No," I said. "I'd rather not." Then I got a thought. "Do you want me to guarantee I won't lie to you?"
"With the ring you mean?" she asked. I nodded. She thought for a moment. "No," she said. "I think we need to have real trust in our relationship."
"OK," I said.
"But I still want retribution," she said.
What did that mean, I wondered.