It was then that my gaze happened to fall on the bookcase, on the gap there, where the old paperback of Nine Stories had fallen flat. Where's the thing? I said. What thing? The mesh. My . She shrugged. I tossed it. Tossed it? Where? What do you mean? In the next moment I was in the kitchen, flipping open the lid of the trash can, only to find it empty. You mean outside? I shouted. In the dumpster? When I came thundering back into the room, she still hadn't moved. Jesus, what were you thinking? That was mine. I wanted that. I wanted to keep it. Her lips barely moved. It was dirty.
The narrator experiences a moment of panic when they realize that an old copy of "Nine Stories" is missing from the bookcase. They confront another person about the lost item, suspecting it was thrown away. The exchange reveals a misunderstanding, where the narrator struggles to comprehend the other person's casual dismissal of something they valued greatly.
As the narrator searches frantically, emotions escalate. They inquire if the book was discarded outside,...