Trudy faked laughing, her eyes crinkled in delight.

Bill laughed at the sight of her. This was a woman who knew how to enjoy the moment. A different type of woman, the likes of which he had never known. He took the Wall Street Journal out of the grocery bag. “Would you like me to show you how to read the Stock Market Quotes?”

Trudy sat right down at the table. “Yes I would.”

     Bill pulled his chair next to Trudy, opened the paper to the Money and Investing Section, and folded it into quarter sections. “Ok, the first two columns show the highest and lowest prices for a stock for the preceding fifty-two week period.”

     Trudy leaned closer. “I see, so one can tell a lot about the...what’s the word I’m looking for.”

     Strands of Trudy’s hair brushed his face and he got another faint whiff of earth and sweat. “Volatility,” he said as he felt a rush in his cheeks. 

     Trudy’s eyes glimmered at Bill as if they were old comrades sharing a private moment. “Yes, that is the word, volatility.”