In Dixon's "All Gone" and McNally's "Andre's Mother" the reader can see that love ultimately does not lead to helplessness because of the main characters' many alienating actions. This goes against the normal stereotypes of love, where one gives his or her all and devotes this or her lives to care for the one they adore. In doing this they expose themselves, leaving you defenseless. Therefore, not letting someone into your life leaves him or her impermeable, cutting yourself off from all feelings.
             In the story "All Gone," "He says goodbye, we kiss at the door, he rings for the elevator, I say "I'll call you when I find out about the tickets," he says "Anytime, as I'll be in all day working on that book jacket I'm behind on," waves to me as the elevator door opens and I shut the door"(Dixon 1). Maria was worried all day about him because he never called when he said he would. Maria called the train station because he uses the subway to go to work, but nobody has seen him or knew where he would be. She waits by the phone and it doesn't ring, so she calls him every half an hour and no answer. Maria Pierce finally calls the police station and asks about a Mr. Schulter and they told her that his name did come up. According to an elderly witness "he was supposedly thrown on the subway tracks this morning and killed"(Dixon 1). This is the last time that Maria Pierce ever sees her Elliot Schulter. The elderly witness said that he tried to get two young men away from a girl and ended up getting thrown onto the tracks and killed. The next day and everyday after that for a long time, Maria sits at the train station looking for these two young men.
             Why does Maria sit at the train station day after day after day? I feel that it was her time at the station, her time to remember all the good times and
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