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  “Because you will probably never come back.”

  We exchanged intense looks of revelation. I drank in the pleasure of agreement. Did Carrie also feel the same chills that I did? It seemed so.

  I would have to make good choices. Mrs. Roe’s recognizing my learning problem had indeed realigned my beliefs about what I could do. What would I do with this knowledge—now that she had also given me financial resources? Riggs had taken charge of his life, and this had made him happy. The brochures he had given me signaled me to take charge as well. I would find a way to follow Carrie to the University of Chicago, or a place close by. I was sure I could do it. But, now, looking straight into Carrie’s bright, welcoming eyes, I decided there was one choice I could make then and there—and I did.

  Acknowledgments

  Vaida Thompson, Stephen Thielke, Josh Gressel, Delbert Ault, and Mark Alicke read early drafts and gave very helpful feedback. Particular thanks to Ken Wetherington and Monica Kern who offered especially detailed comments. To all these folks, I am very grateful. I also received excellent editorial suggestions from Andrew Shaffer, Robin Baskette, and Laurie Boris. María Novillo Saravia of BEAUTeBOOK designed a fitting cover and helped with the nuts and bolts of getting the book ready for publication. My daughters, Rosanna and Caroline, as well as my brother, Eric, read an early version and gave me the needed encouragement to finish it. My sister, Helen, and my brother-in-law, Arch, provided astute advice as I developed the story idea. Lastly, my wife, Sung Hee, was a constant cheerleader and a constructive, patient commenter throughout.

  About the Author

  Richard H. Smith is a social psychologist and freelance writer. He is the author of The Joy of Pain: Schadenfreude and the Dark Side of Human Nature.