His study would have been more in depth had the radio not gone silent for a second before belting out, “Dah-dunna-dunna-duh-duh.” Another pause, and the chords were repeated. Samuel was on his feet, and the radio volume was turned near its max. Within moments the voice on the radio crooned out, “Just take those old records off the shelf…â€? That’s all it took.

With the particular lack of grace and style, Samuel strutted his stuff as only a lily-white suburban-bred white man can strut, with neither reason nor rhythm. Drawn by the sudden increase in volume, Lilly had tiptoed out of her studio to stand in the doorway from the living room to the hallway, laughing and smiling at Samuel’s cavorting. This was nothing new, although a bit more exuberant than she had seen him in a while. Starting the veterinary practice had been stressful and fatiguing for them both.

Samuel saw Lilly standing there laughing, which was quite frankly when he thought she was her most beautiful. This was life. This was marriage.