`` he 's better off now , '' she says more than once . both stared in astonishment at one another . and the best for you ... honey , it is n't me . '' `` and why would you draw that conclusion ? '' i was n't sure what to say and i wondered if he could hear my heart racing in my chest . he slid a finger underneath her chin and gently tilted her head up until she looked at him . madeline stood in the middle of the alley with the man slumped in her arms . 