I finally read all through this book, with no surprise, no hard feeling, not even moved by the separation of the two, which is supposed to be the touching part of the story.
Some lines, however, did have my attention and put me in to thinking.
"What did you write on the back of the postcard?"
"It was going to be a surprise."
"I'm too old for surprises. Besides, surprises always come with a sharp edge that is meant to hurt. I don't want to be hurt--- not by you. Tell me."
Friends sometimes do say the same thing, the same feeling they have about surprise. Surprise meant to be a good word, at least to me, the present you give to your friends on their birthdays, or meals kids give to their parents on Mothers' Day, but I think the author had been through something hard that made him think so erasing all those beautiful things.
I could feel my throat tightening, so I left her on the rock and began to edge my way into the water.
V-I If someone or something edges somewhere, they move very slowly in that direction. 慢慢移动
I believe you still can see the last sentence below said the sharp edge that meant to hurt. Here it is used as a verb means moving slowly to your target.
