Austin

Austin is Katherine’s home when Henry calls to invite her to Los Angeles, making the city the starting point of a visit shaped by his recent breakup with Lydia and by Katherine’s doubts about the assurances he gives her.

Identity and Setting

Austin is identified as the Texas city where Katherine lives. The narrative does not describe its streets or landmarks; instead, it establishes the place through the long-distance call that connects Katherine’s life in Texas with Henry’s home in Los Angeles.

The call comes after Lydia has driven away following their argument and separation. Henry phones Katherine, who sounds genuinely pleased to hear from him. He welcomes the sound of her Texas accent and laughter, making Austin present chiefly as a voice heard across distance.

The Invitation

Henry asks Katherine to visit and offers to pay for airfare in both directions. He proposes taking her to the racetrack and to Malibu, then leaves the rest of the visit open to what she wants. Austin is therefore not merely a point on a map: it is the place from which Katherine would have to arrange travel and leave her cat in someone else’s care.

Katherine does not accept immediately. She asks whether Henry has a girlfriend, noting that his poems are full of women. When he says he has none and describes himself as a recluse, she brings up what he previously told her about Lydia, including Lydia’s fight with two other women. Katherine asks whether Lydia might attack her too and points out that she is not very big.

Distance and Uncertainty

Henry answers that such a confrontation cannot happen because Lydia has moved to Phoenix. He calls Katherine the exceptional woman he has been looking for and asks her to trust him. His assurances lead Katherine to say that she will come once she has made arrangements; she promises to reserve a flight and send him the details. The exchange makes the proposed journey from Austin conditional on both practical arrangements and her confidence in Henry’s account of his relationship status.

The invitation follows a recurring tension in Henry’s relationships: he seeks a new connection while presenting himself as unattached, even as the recent end of his relationship with Lydia remains close at hand. Austin’s narrative significance lies in that interval of distance and negotiation. Katherine is willing to travel, but her questions expose the uncertainty behind Henry’s promise that everything is clear.