Cristina loved the crunchy sound of October leaves under her feet. Because of that it was her favorite month in Philadelphia. She, like Agnes, could walk about town in a light tweed coat and jump from pile to pile of crunchy, brown leaves. Mornings were cool, afternoons were warm, and evenings were cool once again. Cristina had been doing this for years now, ever since Agnes had first opened her eyes to the happiness of the city walk. From Cristina's house at 5th and Christian Streets, she could embark on an infinite number of adventures through the streets of Philadelphia. North to Independence Square, east to Old City, west to the Market Street district, even further west to Rittenhouse Square and, beyond, the University of Pennsylvania. Everything lay at their feet here in Philadelphia -- if only Agnes would ever rejoin her on these city walks. But Cristina knew that could never be.
Here Cristina stood at the corner of Locust and Broad Street, this cool late October day in 1956. How long ago had it been when she and Agnes stood on this corner the first time? Oh, yes -- August of 1931, more than twenty-five years ago. Here she was, alone on the corner, an Italian Catholic with three sons, pushing fifty now, divorced now ten years. She lost Agnes by a slip of the tongue when Agnes had realized, Cristina was Norman's other woman. Agnes eventually forgave her, but their friendship ended. Then Angelo came back from the war in Japan and, when she confessed and wiped the slate clean with him, he divorced her. How she'd like to go back to that August day in 1931, before Agnes had even met Norman Balmoral, and tell her, "I had an affair with Norman last year." Maybe she wouldn't have continued the affair after Agnes and Norman got married, if everyone had known about it in the first place.
She lit up a cigarette and turned to go toward the Reading Terminal. She wanted corned beef pastrami for lunch.
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