Yes, very badly. I almost didn't make it.
What did I do?
You sent me off to a dangerous place, a desperate place, a place of destruction and death.
What was it? Some kind of mission?
I guess you could call it that.
You were young then, weren't you? The girl in the photo.
Yes.
You were very pretty, Anna. You're older now, but I still find you pretty. Just about perfect, if you know what I mean.
You don't have to exaggerate, Mr. Blank.
I'm not. If someone told me that I had to look at you twenty-four hours a day for the rest of my life, I wouldn't have any objections.
Once again, Anna smiles, and once again Mr. Blank touches her left cheek with his right hand.
How long were you in that place? he asks.
A few years. Much longer than I was expecting to be.
But you managed to get out.
Eventually, yes.
I feel so ashamed.
You mustn't. The fact is, Mr. Blank, without you I wouldn't be anyone.
Still…
No still. You're not like other men. You've sacrificed your life to something bigger than yourself, and whatever you've done or haven't done, it's never been for selfish reasons.
Have you ever been in love, Anna?
Several times.
Are you married?
I was.
Was?
My husband died three years ago.
What was his name?
David. David Zimmer.
What happened?
He had a bad heart.
I'm responsible for that, too, aren't I?