The Story of Arthur Truluv

Arthur attempts to make up with Lucille by taking her out to dinner at Olive Garden. He realizes that she’s been out a lot in the evenings and sees her get picked up in a red Cadillac one night. She doesn’t mention anything about it at their dinner, and he reassures himself with a reminder that “[h]e’s her regular” and she would soon be back on her porch calling to him (51). Arthur visits the cemetery and thinks about the times when Arthur and Nola cared for one another when they were sick. Maddy arrives, and Arthur shares his lunch with her; when Arthur tells Maddy that he imagines the lives of the other people in the cemetery because he wants to know Nola’s neighbors, she remarks how much he must have really loved Nola and then gives him the nickname Truluv. He tells her he will call her Sunshine. Maddy shares that she’s not going to college. He tells her she’s welcome at his house anytime and doesn’t have to call.

Lucille has seen Frank almost every night for two weeks while he is in town visiting his daughter. He tells Lucille that he regrets not marrying her and explains that he found his late wife, Sue, to be high-maintenance and impossible to please.